This I Promise
by Acacia Jules
Summary: Cordelia goes to Paris for the summer. Something happens and Cordy ends up spending the rest of her vacation learning her new way of life as an IMMORTAL, and trying to get her mind off Angel, for whom she’s fallen for hard. C/A Highlander X-over
1. Paris

Disclaimer: Obviously, I don't own any of the characters, no matter how much I WISH I did. They belong to the idiot Joss and the WB.. Any other characters, I created.  
  
  
I~ Please excuse all errors in anything! I only got the WB this year, so needless to say, my only information comes from episode guides, which don't go into much detail. I'm assuming Cordy knows about all the icky demon things, and that she knows Angel's a souled vamp! ~/i  
  
  
This I Promise You   
By Jules  
  
  
Prologue and Chapter 1  
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IOk, here's the deal, it's the end of the 1st season, which should make the gang like 16. I've decided to alter the story line for my purposes, (if you don't like it, bite me . . . wait, with the subject matter we're dealing with, maybe 'bite me' isn't what I want to say . . . )  
  
ANYWAY lets see, um,   
  
  
bCordelia (16 going on 17) /b- She's fallen for the handsome souled vamp, from the moment she saw his broody bod. Contrary to popular belief, the cheerleader isn't all self-centered and she's not a total bitch. It's just a mask she hides behind, because she doesn't trust anyone, no one has ever given her reason to, or proven that people could be trusted. A member of the Scooby Gang. She's also an immortal. Friends with Duncan, Richie, and really good friends with Methos.   
  
  
bAngel (240-something) /b - Has that thing for Buffy, but he's also kinda got his eye on Cordelia. He's pretty sure he loves Buffy, but every time he sees Cordy, his heart tightens in his chest (I didn't say thumped, or skipped a beat, I said tightened, that possible isn't it?) Anyway, he doesn't know what he wants. He's torn between the two girls.   
  
  
bDuncan MacLeod (Like 400 years old ) /b - He is immortal. Born in the Highlands of Scotland 400 years ago. He is not alone. There are others like him, some good, some evil. For centuries he has battled the forces of darkness, with Holy Ground his only refuge. He cannot die, unless you take his head, and with it his power. In the end there can be only one. He is Duncan MacLeod, the Highlander. [If you wanna hear the opening, click on this link: http://yauger.simplenet.com/highlander/multimedia/season2-3.wave]  
  
  
bRichie Ryan/b - Also and immortal. Trained by Duncan, only in his 20's. A wisecracking street kid 'til Duncan caught him breaking into his antique shop, but kept him around when he recognized his immortal potential. I don't remember if he knows French or not, but for the sake of the story lets say he does.  
  
  
bAdam 'Methos' Pierson/b - A legendary 5000 year old Immortal, the oldest current living Immortal. Methos was a member of the feared Four Horsemen who raped, murdered, and pillaged across three continents three thousand years ago. Since then he has tried to make up for his past sins by helping Immortals he sees promise in. (Will be known as Adam for awhile)  
  
  
bBuffy (16 going on 17) (not a MAJOR character, but she's fairly big) /b - Smitten with the souled vampire. Pretty sure she's falling in love with him. The only hindrance in their relationship is that whole, he's a vampire, she's the Slayer thing.   
  
  
Then there's the rest of the gang, Xander, Willow, Giles, Jenny, Joyce, maybe Spike, and others as we go along! Also some more characters from Highlander don't know whom else yet though.  
/I  
  
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bThis I Promise You /b  
IBy Jules/i  
  
  
IbChapter 1/I/b  
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b** Paris Café **  
** Twilight **/b   
  
  
Cordelia Chase had only been in Paris for a week, but she was having the time of her life. It was a great way to spend the summer vacation before her junior year. Getting away from Sunnyhell, Hellmouth . . .   
  
It was hard to believe that only a year ago, she thought all the things she'd seen lately were just myths and legends to scare little kids, but they were there. Along with lots of other creepy crawly, things that went bump in the night.   
  
Before she knew it Cordelia's mind drifted to the shadowy man that occupied her every thought. Cordelia didn't know how, or why, but the moment her eyes had laid on the dark, handsome, muscular, brooding man, (with great hair she might add), she'd fallen in love with him. Somehow, she just knew, it was the way her heart beat was more erratic when he was near, she just prayed he didn't notice. But he had eyes only for Buffy, the slayer. Which Cordelia totally didn't get; a vampire with a vampire slayer?   
  
She shook her head in melancholy. She had to snap out of it though, she couldn't have him, and she wouldn't try to steal him either, if his soul was destined for Buffy, she couldn't stand in their way. Cordelia Chase wouldn't make a fool of herself trying to make him fall for her.   
  
She looked at her watch then quickly stood up; she'd been invited to a party by the teens of some old friends of her parents. And now she only had two hours to get ready.  
  
  
The streets grew sparse with people as she walked to her hotel, wearing white Capri's and a tight sky-blue t-shirt with a low neckline, plus white platform sandals.   
Cordelia thought she heard footsteps behind her, she stopped, so did the noise. All was quiet except for the distant sound of music and water drifting from the river. Living in Sunnydale had made her very wary, so she walked faster now. Now she was positive she heard footsteps behind her, they soon speed up, getting close.   
  
Cordelia started running, as fast as she could, but the shoes that she wore prevented her from her maximum speed. Scared, she made a wrong turn and found herself trapped in an alley, no way out on one end, and the body of her pursuer, with a gun, now occupied where she came in.   
  
The man said something in French.  
  
I'God, why didn't I pay more attention in French class? Um, I only understood hands, up, give, and purse . . . oh my god, he's mugging me! My first week here and I'm being mugged!'/I  
  
Cordelia gave into her fear, and did the only thing her mind allowed her to do, she screamed at the top of her lungs in terror.   
  
  
~*~  
  
  
Duncan MacLeod was walking to his barge when he heard a woman scream, then a b'BANG!'/b, which sounded like a gunshot.   
  
He quickly ran in the direction of the sounds.   
  
  
~*~  
  
  
b'BANG!'/b   
  
Cordelia felt something rip through her upper abdomen, through the lower part of her chest. And pain, lots of pain.  
  
"Sacre bleu!" Cried the French thief, he quickly ran off, forgetting to grab the rich girl's purse.   
  
Cordelia sunk to the ground. The pain was making spots dance in her eyes, and she could taste the coppery tang of blood in her mouth, as her lung filled with the thick liquid, which would end her life. Her last thoughts were regrets. That no one would ever love her, or care about her. That Angel would never know how she felt . . . unless anyone found her diary, and told him what it read inside. She was only 16, less then five months away from 17, when she felt her heart stop, and she closed her eyes, all the life forces in her body stopped.   
  
  
~*~  
  
  
As Duncan reached the area where the scream, and then the shot, had originated, his Immortal detection went off, giving him that buzz which told him another immortal was near. He spun around seeing nothing, until his eyes landed upon the fallen girl in the alley, lying in a pool of blood. Could it have been that young girl who set it off?  
  
Duncan went over and checked for a pulse, nothing. The wound had already stopped bleeding though. He knew he couldn't leave her here either. He slipped off his coat and wrapped her in it. Looking around, he picked her up her, then hurried home with her to the barge.   
  
By the time he laid her on the bed, the hole that went from the front, all the way through the back of her chest was also already quickly closing, and beginning to heal. Duncan left the coat wrapped around her and put her purse, which had still been clutched tightly in her hand, on the dresser. Then he picked up a book and started reading. It would be a while.   
  
  
  
b** Late that night **/b  
  
  
Cordelia woke up swiftly, gasping for breath, her lungs refilled with air, and she sat up abruptly.   
  
"Good, your back." Duncan declared in his Scottish accent, putting his book down and standing up.   
  
Cordelia looked at the handsome 30-something man who had just stood from the chair, only 20 feet away.   
  
"Where am I?" She demanded, scared.   
  
"My home, on the river."  
  
She looked down at her blood soaked shirt, fingering where the bullet had gone through, and saw no wound, it looked, from the holes in the shirt that it went through her left lung, but there wasn't even a scar, not a single mar on her body, "I was dead. I remember dying . . . I felt my body get cold, and I could taste blood . . . Oh damn, you turned me into a vampire thingy didn't you!" She accused glaring at him.   
  
Duncan stared at her in shock, "What? No! There's no such thing as vampires. Trust me, I've been around for over 400 years, there aren't any vampires."  
  
Cordelia glared at him smirking, "Yeah, well I live in Sunnydale, California. By the Hellmouth, you know a gateway to hell? Trust me, I've seem more vampires in the last year, then my fair share. God, I even know a souled vampire, who is in love with the Slayer. She's chosen to kill what goes bump in the night! God, my Iboyfriend/I was turned into a vamp, then staked . . ." She trailed off, then started up again, "Over 400 huh? Angel, he's the vampire with a soul, is only like 243 or something."  
  
Duncan gazed at her, dumbfounded. Here he had been, thinking that he was going to have to convince her that it was possible for immortal's to exist, and there she was telling him that things he'd thought were legends were real.  
  
"So, if you didn't turn me into a vamp, how am I alive?" She questioned, getting up.   
  
"You are an immortal. One of a select few chosen to live forever . . ." He launched into the long saga of their existence.   
Basically, some people are chosen to live forever, no 'dying' per say, never aging. They can be killed in the conventional way, but they are reanimated a while later. The only way for them to DIE, die is beheading. And if the victor of this fight is an immortal, he/she gains the power, memories, and strength of the defeated, in this thing called the quickening, which involves lots of lightning, and explosions. I(Really cool to watch!)/I  
  
Cordelia absorbed it all in stride, "So, I'll never get all wrinkly, flabby, and all that other icky stuff involved in aging."  
  
Duncan had to smile at the girl, it was obvious that she was very young, extremely blunt, but that it took a lot to faze her, so he just agreed with her, "Correct."  
  
"Cool! I just got one question." Cordelia informed him.   
  
"Yes?"  
  
"Who the hell are you?"   
  
Duncan laughed, "Duncan MacLeod, of the clan MacLeod, and you are?"  
  
"Cordelia Chase, daughter of the second richest man in Sunnydale. By the way, just so you know, I'm only 16."  
  
Duncan was a little surprised at this information. She'd looked older . . . .  
  
"So, what happens now?" Cordelia asked eagerly.   
  
"Well, I have to train you, martial arts, sword fighting, and lots of other things. It will take awhile."  
  
Cordelia sighed, "Well I can only stay until I need to start school again. And I'll have to call my parents and tell them that I'm staying with a friend now, and not to call my hotel anymore, and that I'll see them in September. Don't even think about trying to make me stay longer, I'm already kissing my summer vacation goodbye, if you think I'm gonna ditch my friends next year you can forget about it." She told him seriously.  
  
Duncan could tell this was going to be a long three months, and just hoped he would be able to train her in that small amount of time, "Alright, maybe we should go get your clothes and things."  
  
"Right, um, can I borrow something though? I don't think that me walking in wearing a bloodstained shirt will not cause the security staff to get alarmed."  
  
Duncan raised his eyebrow, this girl wasn't as dumb as she acted.   
  
  
  
b** Two days later **/b  
  
  
Cordelia was ready to kill Duncan, "You have got to be kidding me, it's six am! It's my summer vacation, and your making me get up?"  
  
"Come on Cordelia, rise and shine." Duncan directed her, fully awake.   
  
"MacLeod, you are cruel. Truly cruel." She grumbled, stumbling out of bed and into the shower.  
  
  
b** 45 minutes later **/b  
  
  
Cordelia re-emerged, her long, damp hair brushed and in a ponytail. She was wearing black wind pants, which she had rolled down to her hips showing off her slim toned stomach, and a white Nike sports bra top. Awake, but still cranky.   
  
Duncan handed her a cup of coffee, and half a grapefruit.   
  
They quickly ate, and then were off to train.   
  
  
b** Ten am **/b  
  
Cordelia did have some training, due to cheerleading, and because it was a dangerous world out there, and her father had insisted on her taking kick-boxing. At present, she was working on the mental and physical part of martial arts.   
  
Cordelia was bored out of her mind however as she hit the practice dummy. She was hot, sweaty, and she just knew her breaking a nail was inevitable.   
  
"No." Duncan stopped her, "Here." He advised her, pointing to a spot a few centimeters above on the dummy's side, where she had been kicking, "It looks the same, but you'll cause a lot more pain if you kick here."  
  
Cordelia kicked the stupid, stupid thing there, then punched it in the face a few times, "There, happy? I can't take this anymore. I'm gonna do my routines until lunch." She enlightened him, leaving no room for argument.   
  
Duncan could tell she was going to stand firm on this, and relented, "Fine."  
  
Cordelia's expression changed from one of frustration, to one of happiness. She put in a CD, then started working on her cheerleading routines, which always calmed her down and got out annoyances.  
  
  
Duncan stood in a corner watching his charge. She was very stubborn, which could get her killed, but it might also be a positive attribute, but it was still too soon to discern.   
  
He winced when he noticed her do five handsprings into an American spit, which to him looked seriously painful, but Cordelia just rotated her torso so her legs were now on either side of her. She put her hands down in front of her and lifted herself off the floor, shaking a bit, then slowly letting her self down. Cordelia hopped up and did a few back bends, slowly flipping over. Her agility would give her an advantage as well he noted.   
  
Duncan knew what he really needed to work on, was controlling her anger, and her sword handling.   
  
  
  
b** One month later **/b  
  
  
Cordelia sighed blissfully as she looked around, finally, a day off. It was her reward for pinning Duncan in a fight after all this time. She was going to shop all day, then eat a café, call Harmony and brag that she had some Paris originals.   
  
Duncan walked beside her, silently amused at the teen's giddiness. He was glad to see his young charge was so happy; she seemed totally in her element as she shopped all day. He figured after forcing her to train for so long, he could at least accompany her without complaining.   
  
Richie Ryan was with them in addition. He had shown up about two months ago, and was completely smitten with Cordelia, though she had no inkling in regards to his affections for her. He too, was an immortal, a recent addition to their ranks too, with in the last five years was very young for an immortal, but immortal he was. Only a bit older then Cordy was.   
  
Both Richie and Duncan were taken with her charming bluntness, and her tactlessness.   
  
  
Richie had burst out laughing one day when Cordelia had looked Duncan over and asked him, "Alright, I give up, what is it with immortal's and black? It's all Angel wears too! Richie might not be wearing the latest things, but at least he has some more color in his wardrobe!"   
  
  
"Ooh!" Cordelia squealed, picking up a dark red button up silk shirt off a rack, "Duncan, this would look great on you!" She held it up to him, "See! Wouldn't it be perfect for him Richie?"  
  
Richie smiled, "Oh yes Cordelia. It's just totally Duncan."  
  
Cordelia smiled back at him, causing him to blush. She had a quick look around and spotted something else she liked, "Ooh, this suit is totally you Richie!"  
  
Richie's face turned to one of horror.  
  
"Go try it on! I know you're gonna look so handsome in it." Cordelia ordered.  
  
Richie was among those afflicted to not being able to say no to her, he groaned taking the Armani suit from her. She handed him a white shirt to go with it, "Take this too."  
  
The trial of trying on the suit however was totally forgotten when he stepped out of the dressing room. And Cordelia looks him up and down, then whistled, "You are a total hottie. Doesn't he Duncan?"  
  
"Oh, yes, a total babe." He teased the poor boy.  
  
Cordelia didn't even notice, she walked around Richie, "I'm gonna buy it for you. Every guy needs a really hot looking suit, and something tells me you don't have one."  
  
Richie was about to protest, but the look on her face kept him silent.   
  
They managed to get out of the store, half and hour later, with three suits for Richie, five shirts to go with them, and several ties. For Duncan there were four shirts, and two ties, since his wardrobe was better then Richie's had been.   
  
  
b** Seven pm **/b  
  
Duncan and Richie flopped down on the couch in the barge, surrounded by bags, exhausted.   
  
Cordelia, who had carried just as many bags, if not more, was still very energetic, "God, you men are such wimps." She shook her head as she went into the bathroom to change.  
  
They guys are surprised when she came out wearing her workout clothes.  
  
"What on earth are you doing?" Duncan questioned, wide eyed.  
  
Cordelia glanced at him like he's crazy, "Going to work out of course, my God, I was shopping all day, and I had a huge lunch. I need to go work off those calories. Besides, I have to be ready for Cheerleader tryouts in like a month! I need to really concentrate on that to if I'm going to be captain! If you want to join me I'll be up on deck." When she saw they weren't going to move, she jogged out.   
  
"Where the hell does she get all that energy?" Duncan demanded, looking up to the heavens, hoping for an answer.   
  
"I don't know . . . but man, the possibilities . . ." Richie uttered, naughty thoughts running through his head on how she could expel some of that energy with him.   
  
Duncan noticed the look on the young man's face, "Don't even think about it. She's not even 17 yet, and I know she's not interested."  
  
Richie groaned, "I know, but I can dream."  
  
Duncan laughed, "Yes you can. Just don't let yourself get too wrapped up in those dreams, I don't want you getting hurt."  
  
"I'll try, but with a body like that, you can't help but get burned . . ."  
  
  
Up on the deck Cordelia practiced the Tai-chi Duncan had taught her, trying to get that damn Angel out of her head. Her call to Harmony had revealed that Buffy had left Sunnydale for the summer to stay with her Dad in LA until the school year started. For the past month she hadn't thought about Angel as much, because her training consumed practically her every waking moment, only in her dreams was she totally focused on him, for that she'd made herself train extra, because she had to break this habit. She was going to get seriously disappointed if she didn't.   
  
  
  
b** A few weeks later **  
** Nine am **/b  
  
  
Duncan, Richie, and Cordy (as they called her) were all doing the carefully planned sword training exercises when they all were afflicted with the 'buzz', signaling another immortal was in close proximity.   
  
They all had a quick look around and spotted a tall thin man walking en route of them. All three were ready to fight, until Duncan and Richie finally recognized him.  
  
"Methos!" Duncan called out. Cordelia noted that Duncan and Richie had put down their swords, so she did as well.   
  
The man came and gave Duncan and Richie each a firm handshake. Stopping at Cordelia looking her up and down, then took her hand and bought it up to his mouth and kissed it, "And who is this lovely creature we have here?"  
  
Duncan made the introductions, "This is Cordelia Chase, she's from America. She's completely new to the game. Just found out her true nature a couple months ago."  
  
"It's a pleasure to meet you Cordelia, I am Methos, but I prefer to go by Adam Pierson."  
  
Cordelia's nose crinkled for a moment, then it was as if a light flickered on inside her head, "You're like the oldest living person in the world aren't you?"  
  
"So you told her eh?" Adam queried Duncan.  
  
Duncan shook his head, bewildered that she had known.   
  
Cordelia explained it to them, "Immortals aren't THAT much of a secret, I mean, they just think we are just legends. But the Slayer's Watchers council does have a few books on our legend. Methos, was one of the first immortals, over 5000 years old. Suspected to be one of the four horsemen. God, you're the legend of legends to them."  
  
"How on earth do you know that?" Methos demanded.   
  
"I live in Sunnydale. I've read a few of the books in the library." She explained indifferently.   
  
"Ah, the Hellmouth. I see you must work with the Slayer. Actually, the Immortal's Watchers Council is where the origin's of the Slayer's Watchers Council got started, they just have blocked out their existence for some reason." Adam informed her.  
  
Cordelia smirked at Duncan and Richie, "Told you I lived at the Hellmouth, and that Buffy was the Slayer."  
  
"I never said that you didn't!" Richie exclaimed.   
  
Cordelia glared at him, "Maybe, but you never said you believed me." She turned to Adam, "You ever met a vampire? Or any of those other things that go bump in the night?"  
  
"Oh tons of times. Most of them are down right ugly wankers."  
  
"I know! Total gross factor of a scale one to ten, most of them are like 15." Cordelia imparted to him, sheathing her sword as they started to walk and talk, leaving Richie and Duncan behind.   
  
"I really hate the ones with slime, or ooze. The smell is impossible to get off your clothes." Adam commented.   
  
"I know! And of course the ones they ruin are always the really expensive ones, never the stuff that is easy to replace . . ."  
  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~   
  
  
Please, I want replies, I know it sounds pathetic, but I live for feedback, good or bad! I need to know what you think so I know where to go with this.  
  
  
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	2. The Return

  
bThis I Promise You /b  
IBy Jules/i  
  
  
IbChapter 2/I/b  
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b** A couple weeks later **/b  
  
  
Cordelia knocked Richie down on his butt, triumphant, "Yes! Wahoo! I - Kicked - Your - @ss!" She reached down and pulled him to his feet.  
  
Richie rubbed his tailbone, "I think you broke me."  
  
Cordelia rolled her eyes, "Oh quit being such a wimp. God, you're acting just like Xander."  
  
Richie grabbed his chest, like he'd been stabbed, "Ooh, insult right to the heart. That was a harsh one." Then he laughed putting his arm around her, "Ok, what do you want for kicking my @ss." He'd promised her anything she wanted if she beat him 5 out of 6.  
  
She looks at him with her eyes hopeful, "Come with me to Sunnydale, it would be a total bore with out someone to fight with there. And since Duncan said I'm not supposed to alert anyone to my true nature, it's not like I can fight or train with anyone around there. I'd like to have one immortal there with me."  
  
Richie's shocked, "Um, ok! That would be cool. California huh? Hmm, I always wanted to live there!"  
  
They both feel The Buzz and look around.   
  
"Mind if I come too?" Adam asks, as he comes into the room.   
  
Cordelia's face lights up, "Really?"  
  
"Yeah! I've always wanted to visit the Hellmouth, and a Slayer." Adam shrugs smiling.   
  
Cordelia runs up and hugs the 5000-year-old man whom she's grown close to over the past two weeks. They had a lot more in common then Duncan would have thought, of course it was purely friendship though.  
  
"Thanks guys! You are the best!"  
  
"Plus we'll teach you how to have fun at night, so no one will catch you killing the bad guys." Richie whispers in her ear as Duncan comes into the room.   
  
"What's going on?" He asks, seeing the looks on their faces.  
  
"We're going to Sunnydale with Cordy." Richie tells him.  
  
"Oh, well, please call me every now and then and let me know how you are." Duncan makes them promise, knowing he was going to miss his friends.   
  
"I will. I promise Dunc. You're stuck with me now, you couldn't get rid of me if you tried MacLeod." Cordelia tells him grinning.   
  
  
  
b** Two-day's later **  
** At the airport terminal **/b  
  
  
"Take care of her." Duncan orders Adam and Richie secretly while Cordelia was at the gift shop, "She's still young, and very impulsive. You know how that could be a problem Adam."  
  
"Don't worry MacLeod, we'll protect her. Hell, I've even bought a mansion right done the street from her for Richie and I, so we can be close by. Plus Richie somehow managed to get a job at the High School, I'm not even going to ask how. And since the mansion is still in the midst of being decorated, we're staying with her until her parents come home." Adam assures Duncan.   
  
Cordelia comes up with a book in her hand, plus a little something for Xander.  
  
"Are you guys ready? The plane's almost ready to board." She tells them.   
  
"Yeah, we're ready." Richie confirms.   
  
"Good, MacLeod, I'm gonna miss you. Thank you, if you hadn't found me, I would probably be headless right now, or locked up in a mental institution."  
  
"It was nothing. I'm just glad that you're going to be ok. If you ever need anything, don't hesitate to call me Cordy. And never tell anyone what you are, unless is absolutely necessary." Duncan tells her.   
  
The flight to Sunnydale was announced and it was time to leave.  
  
He gives her a card, which means she has to pick up something at the airport once she's in Sunnydale, "I won't MacLeod." She gives him a quick hug, something totally un-Cordelia like, "I'll miss you. And I won't ever forget what you taught me. Au-revoir mon ami."  
  
With that she hurries away, so he won't catch her tears. Adam gives Duncan a quick handshake, then runs after her.   
  
Richie gives Duncan a hug too, "I'll protect her Dunc, you can count on me." Then he goes through the door too.   
  
  
  
b** Sunnydale **  
** The airport, hours later **/b  
  
  
The trio stopped at the pickup desk, where Richie and Adam got their swords. Then Cordelia handed them the ticket Duncan had given her at the Airport in Paris. Adam and Richie patiently waited with her, a long case was brought out too her. Cordelia knew better then to open it there, so once they got to her car in the parking lot, they opened it on the trunk. Inside was a beautiful sword, with an ivory handle with delicate patterns carved into it.   
  
"Wow." Was all they could say, it was a very expensive, and meaningful gift. It was obvious that the sword had been used, but not for a very long time. It was in amazing condition too, for the 200-year-old Dragon-Head katana Adam identified it as. [/IJust to give you a little back ground info, the Dragon-Head katana was actually created for the show Highlander. You can buy a sword identical to the one used by Duncan on the show, but it is not a combat weapon. **/I]  
  
"Duncan must have found when he was looking for things for his antique shop, I just hope that the owners didn't know what it really was, otherwise he would have spent a fortune on it."   
  
Cordelia fingers the blade, then silently closes the case, "I miss him already. You know, spending practically every single minute of your life with a man for three months, they tend to grow on you, no matter how tacky their hair cut is."  
  
Adam puts his arm around her and kisses her on the forehead, "I know you do Cordy, but you can talk to him soon."  
  
Cordelia sighs, nodding her head. She takes a deep breath then perks up, "So, what do you guys want to do? My parents aren't gonna be home for another two weeks from Switzerland, and the house is ours! School doesn't start for a week either, so we've got seven days and seven nights to fill."  
  
"Oh, I think we can come up with something." Richie assures her laughing.   
  
Cordelia had brought home tons more suitcases of clothes then she's arrived with, so her trunk and a seat in the back of her car were full of suitcases.  
  
They all crammed into the car, Richie squeezed in the backseat, next to most of his and Adam' luggage, since the rest was being sent here, since they were moving everything they owned was being sent. Adam sat next to Cordelia in the passenger seat.  
  
  
  
b** Right before sunset that night **/b  
  
  
Richie and Cordelia were looking through her family's extensive collection of movies, trying to find a good one to watch, when Adam saunters into the room.   
  
"Cordy, how would you like to get some practicing in?" Adam asks, with a twinkle in his eye.  
  
Cordelia jumps up, actually excited at the prospect, "Ooh! I'll go change!"  
  
She quickly runs upstairs and gets into the stealth look, which she'd grown to really like. Black, now that she thought about it, was a very appealing color. She put on a black wrap around skirt and a black spaghetti strap shirt, since it was still summer. She'd learned how to fight in heels too, so she put on some black 3-inch platforms. She pulled a see through black gauzy long sleeve shirt on over the tank and she was ready after tying her hair back. A lightweight, designer, black trench coat, which went to her mid-thigh, was long enough to conceal the sword, but still short enough to be fashionable.   
  
  
Soon she, Adam, and Richie were walking through the cemetery, looking for some live dummies [vamps] to get some practice in.   
  
They got bored and were soon sitting on some above ground symbolic tomb, with nothing in it, talking.   
  
"I have to know Richie, how on earth did you get a job at my high school?" Cordelia questioned, leaning back and swinging her legs.   
  
"I faked a resume, really simple actually. But I'm just going to be a student teacher, easy stuff. It will be nice to be giving back to a community."  
  
"Oh please, you're just doing it just to get a close look at the cheerleaders at the games." Adam accuses knowingly.  
  
"Who, me?" Richie asks innocently, "That's not true!"  
  
Cordelia looks at him sternly, "That had better not be true Richie! And Adam, why did you have to say that?! I'm a cheerleader! Now that's all I'm going to be thinking about every time I do a high kick."  
  
"Oops, forgot. I didn't mean it. And I'm sure that Richie doesn't plan on doing that." Adam lies, he knew that Richie had a crush on Cordelia, and was using every opportunity to give her extremely subtle hints.   
  
All three jump when a deep voice comes up behind them, "It's not safe to be out around here after dark." He warns.   
  
Cordelia stiffens, then jumps off turning around, leaning on the tomb, which Richie and Adam still sit on, "I know Angel, but it's like so quiet out here so far! No un-dead in sight!"  
  
  
Angel's chest constricts at the sight of the beautiful girl, he hadn't seen her for months, and had thought it was just a phase which had passed, then now the moment his eyes lay on her, it happens again.   
  
"Hey Cordelia." Angel raises his eyebrow, to the two men who've twisted around to see the vampire, "Hello, I'm Angel."  
  
"Cool! This is the first time I ever met a vampire!" Richie exclaims.  
  
Adam whaps Richie on the head, "Shut up you bonehead." He hisses.  
  
"Cordelia, is there something you'd like to tell me?" Angel asks, wondering why she's let two strangers in on his secret.   
  
"Relax Angel, these are my friends Adam Pierson and Richie Ryan. Adam has known about your kind's existence for years, and Richie, well, he just overhears things, but don't let his stupidity fool you, he won't tell anyone." Cordelia promises him, "These dorks live for bloodshed, and we were just really bored. So I was showing them the old haunts. How were thinks in Sunnydale while I was gone? Anything happen?"  
  
"No, nothing since before you all went on summer vacation. But things usually are pretty quiet for awhile after a Master is staked. Things should be picking up again very soon. Actually, they're a little late in getting back into action, but soon."  
  
Cordelia mentally chastises her heart for beating so fast because he's there, but goes on like it's not happening, "Oh, well, it was nice seeing you again Angel. Come on Richie, Adam, we'll just go change then I'll take you guys to the Bronze."  
  
Angel watches the three walk away; Richie and Cordelia arguing.   
  
"But Cordy, it's a teen hang out!" Richie protested, "I'm their teacher for Pete's sake!"  
  
"Oh quit whining Richie, you're not officially a teacher 'til next Wednesday, besides your only a Istudent/I teacher to a IGYM/I teacher. You don't see Adam here complaining . . ."  
  
Cordelia's words became unrecognizable. She was the same Cordelia, but Angel could tell something was different. For one, she's been dressed in all black, and she had a new, 'air', to her, something had changed. Angel shrugged it off as the results of a summer in France.  
  
  
  
b** Two days later **/b  
  
  
Cordelia decides to go patrolling, while Adam and Richie move somethings into their new mansion. They weren't going to be coming home until around midnight or later, so Cordelia had some time on her hands.   
  
She put on another short black skirt, a tight black tank top and another lightweight see-through black shirt. It had to be something about not being a mortal, black just seemed like the prefect color for those who would live forever. Its appeal was becoming very noticeable to her, and most of the clothes she'd bought for herself in Europe were black too. She promised herself that she wouldn't only wear dark colors though, no matter how tempted.   
  
Cordelia kept her hair back with a black knit dew rag, which allowed the curls she had to flow down her back, but kept them out of her face.   
  
A few stakes, holy water, and a cross and she was ready.   
Cordelia's thoughts were that she might as well do her part since Buffy hadn't returned from LA yet. Plus she needed to work out some tension, and she could only beat the crap out of Richie so many times before it got old!  
  
  
~*~  
  
  
Angel had always been grateful for his times alone. Though during the past few months it had been practically constant, which had gotten a bit lonely, but it had given him lots of time to think.   
  
And he's been thinking even more since he'd seen Cordelia two days ago. Angel had always been secretly attracted to her at the same time he'd been attracted to Buffy. Buffy had caused the feelings first, but Cordelia made his mind go numb whenever he saw her, or thought of her.   
  
Angel had actually ended up making a list earlier today.   
  
Both were beautiful, but so different.   
  
Buffy had shoulder length blond haired (yeah, bottled blond, but you get what I mean), she had greenish-blue eyes. She was strong, and not just in strength. He's been through a lot as the slayer. Watched friend be killed, killed friends, given up things. He'd really admired her, and grew close to her, but her being the Slayer had really caused a major strain. She's opened up his heart to love for the first time in around 220 years.  
  
Cordelia on the other hand had very long satiny dark brown hair, hazel eyes, which blazed when she was mad. He knew the others didn't see it, but Cordelia was smart, and quick, but she was very protective of herself and hid behind her mask of being a b*tch. She didn't let many people into her heart, or let them even pierce the armor that she protected herself with. Her heart was pure and true though, and was waiting for someone to come along to make her see love, so she could open it up for the world to see it's beauty. She could be or do anything. The moment Angel had seen her he'd felt feelings stirring in his soul, unlike anything he'd ever felt, he just never let it show.   
  
  
Angel also knew though, getting to close to either of them wouldn't be fair to them. Angel had also done research in his time along, and found that he could lose his soul, because of a damn happiness clause in his curse. And on top of that with Buffy, she was meant to kill his kind. Plus with either girl, they would both grow old one day, then die, leaving him alone, with the pain of loneliness once more. He couldn't allow him the luxury of happiness, and he'd have to end it eventually, didn't he? So he would just make Cordelia unhappy inevitably . . . Wait, Cordelia? He Imeant/I to think 'either one', but Cordelia had just popped in his brain.   
  
  
Then Angel saw Iher/I walking towards him, he noticed her lips moving, and he hid behind a tree, not wanting to be spotted by her.   
  
  
~*~  
  
  
Cordelia wandered around the graveyard, which was dead quiet. She laughed softly at the thought.  
  
"Of course it's dead quiet, it's a graveyard!" Then she groaned, "Oh good Cordelia. Now you're talking to yourself. You are seriously going mental. Basically your first time alone in three months, and you start talking to yourself." She sighs, "Oh well, it's better then all that quiet. I hate quiet, too eerie for my liking. Hmm, maybe this way I can think my thoughts out. They run around enough in there on their own, but maybe this will clear them up. First subject, vampires. To start, a handsome one, with a soul, who knows how to dress. Who of course, just like the nut job I am, captured my heart the second I laid eyes on him. He fills my dreams with visions, and feelings of his cool lips, and fingers all over my body . . ."  
  
  
Behind his tree Angel was shocked at her words of her feelings towards him. And also at images that flash through his mind of him touching her hot body, pressing his lips against hers and his tongue exploring the hot inner depths of her mouth . . . [IGod, what did you THINK I was going to say?! Get your mind out of Gutterland . . . on second thought, maybe you should leave it there. That never fails on making a story more interesting! LOL/I]  
  
  
Cordelia went on, still unaware of her audience, "Running my fingers through his amazing hair. His strong hands and arms holding me. Caressing my face." Her hand unconsciously went up and lightly traced her cheekbone, as if she could feel him. The she stopped, shocked, "Ooh, Cordy, you should be ashamed of yourself, you're not supposed to have such thoughts about him, you promised yourself." She reprimanded herself, then giggled at how ridiculous that must sound, "I must be going crackers. New subject, new unsexual subject . . . um, ooh, um . . . damn, right when I need something my mind draws a blank." She stops and stands still for a second, "I got it! Various ways to kill evil vamps. The old fashioned stakes is one of the main ways to kill them . . . but if you want to torture them first, crosses and holy water. Now I'm starting to feel bad about the holy water or crosses though, what it must do to their complexion if you don't kill them!"  
  
  
Angel finally snapped out of his fantasies and heard that she'd changed the subject and decided to make his presence known.  
  
"And I guess fire always will be a good alternative to kill the vampires too . . ." She mussed.   
  
Angel forced a laugh, "Are you planning to kill me anytime soon?"  
  
Cordelia jumped grabbing a stake, and spun towards his voice, "God, Angel! You are so lucky I looked before I staked, otherwise you'd be a pile of dust right now!"  
  
"I guess I am." He tells her, his smile disappearing, "What are you doing alone in the graveyard so late at night?"  
  
"I'm just walking, for now. I figured I might as well make sure there weren't any new vamps coming around, to run rampant once Buffy came back . . ." She looked down and blushes, "And I had nothing to do, Adam and Richie won't be back until after midnight."  
  
"Cordelia, you shouldn't be here alone." He tells her sternly.  
  
Cordelia's eyes flash and she looks up at him, "I can protect myself perfectly well thank you Angel."  
  
Angel sighs, "Cordelia, Buffy would stake me if I let anything happen to any of her Slayerettes while I was on duty. I think your turning into a vampire would qualify as something."  
  
"Geez, uptight much? Relax Angel. You sound just like Adam! If you weren't a vampire I'd tell you to cut down on the caffeine intake!"  
  
Angel just looks at her, "Come on, I'm taking you home before something happens."  
  
"Too late." A new voice tells them.   
  
While they had been arguing, a small group of vampires had sneaked up on him.   
  
Cordelia and Angel immediately go back to back, so Angel doesn't see Cordelia's eyes sparkling in excitement.   
  
"Damn." Angel mutters.   
  
"Scared?" Asked one of the obviously very new vampires, who was about to attack him.   
  
Angel smiled evilly, "Nope." Then he morphed into his demon face and pulled a stake out of his pocket.  
  
Soon both he and Cordelia had dusted two vamps each, with three more to go. Now that Angel was facing her, she high kicks a vamp in the chin, stunning it, then kicks it Angel's way, where he stakes it. One tried to get away when Angel's back was turned, so Cordelia throws a stake, like Adam had taught her to do with knives, and dusted it.   
  
Angel looked Cordelia up and down once the fight was over, her hair was a mess, and she had a cut at her hair line, "That doesn't look too good. I'd better take you home and bandage that up."  
  
Cordelia was feeling fine, and knew that soon after he taped it, it will have healed, but just went with him.   
  
She invited him in and brought a first-aid kit to the dining room table, and pulled out some antibiotic cream on it, gauze, and tape.   
  
  
"Have you ever been in love Angel? Are you in love?" Cordelia asks cautiously, as Angel was putting the antibiotic cream on the wound.  
  
"I might be. But I can't be in love, and she can't love me, it wouldn't be fair to her." He tells her, as he gently placed the gauze on her cut and tapes it on.   
  
"God, Cryptic Guy rears his head! Care to explain that Soul-boy?" She asks teasingly.   
  
Angel gives a little grimace, because she sounded like Xander, then explains his sad plight to her, "It's because of a clause in the curse, which gives me my soul actually. If I experience total happiness, I lose my soul and become Angelus again, and he's a mean guy. Trust me, I remember, and he tries to talk me into things every day. I just wish that my soul was anchored, so I don't have to worry about hurting those who I love. If I had my soul, I could finally be happy with someone I love."  
  
Cordelia feels her hear practically break for the sexy man sitting next to her. It was then she made her vow, she would get Angel his soul, with no clauses where he could lose it. Then maybe he could be happy with Buffy. She knew she'd never have a chance with him, but if he was happy, she'd live the rest of her immortal life knowing that she did do something selfless for once. She bit her lip to keep from crying, realizing that she'd lose him forever because of this, but knew she had to.  
  
Cordelia swallowed the lump in her throat, "I hope it happens one day. Ooh, you'll have to go to be before Adam and Richie come back."   
  
"They're coming here?" Angel questions.   
  
"Yeah, they are living with me, since my parents gave all the servants paid vacation, until they come back next week. It's lonely here all alone."  
  
"They left you completely alone?" Angel asks, if he had a heart, it would be going out to her right now.   
  
Cordelia just shrugs her shoulders, "It's not like it's the first time. And I guess they figure that I'm 16, I don't need a babysitter. It's just that the mansion is so big, and it gets creepy when no one else is around . . . not that anyone's around much when they are 'home'." she leads him to the door.   
  
"Oh, well, good night." Then he walks away into the darkness, his soul aching for the obviously neglected teen behind him.   
  
She follows Angel out the door then calls out after him, "Good night Angel, protect the world."  
  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~   
  
  
** You can find more info about the sword and see a picture of it at http://www.swords.com/main.phtml?WTD=S4   
  
  



	3. School Days

bThis I Promise You /b  
IBy Jules/i  
  
  
IbChapter 3/I/b  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
  
b** First day of school **  
** Five am **/b  
  
  
Adam shook the poor immortal teenage girl awake, from a wonderful dream she was having, involving Angel and whipped cream. I[I think we all know the one, we've all had it many times . . . the one with him in a bathtub full of bubble bath is quite, um, entertaining too.]/I   
  
"Come on Cordy, we need to train before school."  
  
"Ooh you are so lucky I'm half asleep right now . . ." She grumbled, "I'll be down in ten minutes." As she walked to the bathroom he could swear he heard her say, "For the first time since I met Buffy, I'm not envious of her. She's been doing this for over a year now . . . what a crock, you would think having supernatural power would make life easier, but no, I'm getting up when it's still dark . . ."  
  
  
The trio practiced Tai chi until Cordelia and Richie had to get ready for school.  
  
  
Cordelia washes and styles her hair, and then she slipped on a white sundress, which tied at an empire waistline style, on her tanned well-toned body. She was in better shape then last year, and looked even more amazing then before. Cordy put on another gauzy see-through, this time yellow, long sleeved shirt and tied the ends at her natural waistline. She quickly accessorizes with a watch, a pendent, earrings, and an ankle bracelet. Cordelia did her make up, and put on her white platform strap sandals, then she grabbed a tiny white backpack purse, a notebook, plus a large big of gifts she'd brought home from Paris, and she was ready to go.   
  
Richie was waiting for her in black Nike wind-pants and a white t-shirt with a black Nike swoosh on it.   
  
Since he didn't have a car, Cordelia would be driving them to and from school everyday, until his motorcycle came, at which time he would alternately give her rides to school.   
  
"Finally, we're going to be late on the first day Cordy!"  
  
Cordelia rolled her eyes, "Relax Richie, I'll get us there in plenty of time, only geeks take first hours, and teachers aren't required to be there for awhile. Besides, I'll get us there in 12 minutes."  
  
"But it's a 20 minute drive." He protested.  
  
They certainly made it to school in no time, only Richie was looking a little peeked.  
  
Cordelia had missed orientation two weeks ago, so she headed to the Guidance Office for her schedule and things.   
  
She knew that her locker was near her clique's, Harmony had made sure of that, but now she needs to find out her classes.   
  
  
  
*******************************************  
  
Name: Chase, CordeliaGrade: 11 ID: 0000230080  
____________________________________________________________________  
  
  
  
uPeriod/u uClass/uuTeacher/uuRoom#/u  
_____________________________________________________________________  
  
1st No Class  
2nd ChemistryVandenburg, BobB-5  
3rd English 11Gillette, Mike C-6  
4th World Hist.Harvey, SteveE-6  
5thStudy HallGiles, RupertLibrary  
6thFrench IIIFlikama, MarieE-12  
7thSlf. Defns.Sukup, DavidGym  
  
  
*******************************************  
  
  
  
Cordelia groaned at her unnecessary classes, which last year had seemed like a good idea, French and Self-Defense. Duncan had easily taught her the language in her time with him, and obviously how to fight. Cordelia can stand the 7th hour, because she'll be able to practice that way. But French had to go, so she makes arrangements to take the years final during class today. That would get her out of the class, but still qualify her for the credit.   
  
She had an hour until her first class, so she quickly went to the gym, where she found Richie getting his instructions from the gym teacher he'd be assisting. Cordelia leaned against the wall waiting for him, he sensed her presence from 'the buzz', and as soon as the older man finishes he goes over to her.   
  
"So, what hours do you work?" She questions getting right to the point.   
  
"2nd, 3rd, 4th, and 7th." He rattles off quickly.  
  
"Perfect! I only classes I have are during those hours. And I have self-defense 7th hour, with you apparently."   
  
"Great!" Richie was really happy that she was in his self-defense class, now he'd get to watch her work out an extra hour ever day in her sports bra.  
  
"Yeah, 5th hour is study hour, then we have lunch. Then I have French III, which is going to be too easy since Duncan taught me this summer, so I'm taking the final exam for the whole year today, which will get me out of the class, but I'll still get my credit! So after today, we're going to have the rest of the day together, because you're going to start coming to the library with me." Cordelia tells him, then looks at the watch on her wrist, "Ooh, gotta jet if I'm going to meet up with Harmony and the rest of the crowd and give them their gifts. See ya 5th hour, I'll come pick you up so you don't get lost!"  
  
Richie marvels at the workings of her mind and knows the smart thing is to agree with her, which is was he'll always do, "Alright, I'll be waiting for you."  
  
Cordelia then saunters out of the gym. Richie and all the guys coming in for weight training watching her walk away.   
  
Soon a familiar voice squeals, "Cordelia!"  
  
Cordelia spots her friends waiting for her, "Hey Harmony, guys. Missed ya!"  
  
"Tell me all about Paris, what did you do?" Harmony questions eagerly.   
  
"Well, I went shopping, I ate in cafés, lived on a boat on the Riviera." She tells them, like it was no big deal.  
  
"God we are so totally jealous." One girl moans.   
  
"I did bring you all back something though!"  
  
Cordelia hands out small boxes to everyone, and a large box to Harmony, since she was her best friend. All the girls got silk scarves, and Harmony got a one of a kind dress, straight from the runways in Paris.  
  
"They're beautiful!" Another one of the girls gasps, gently fingering the fabric.  
  
Harmony agrees, loving her new dress, "Great style!"  
  
"So, Sunnydale was dead huh?"  
  
"Completely, and all the hot guys like totally disappear-." Harmony was cut off when someone bumped into her. It was Buffy, "God freak, rude much?"  
  
Buffy rolled her eyes then went on her way.  
  
Then Harmony went back to chattering, not even noticing that Cordelia watched Buffy walk away, as she tried to figure out what Angel saw in her, which made her so special.  
  
  
  
b** 5th hour **/b  
  
  
As soon as class had ended Cordelia arrives in the door of the gym, waiting for Richie, who quickly locked the office and went with her, his arm habitually around her shoulders as they walked to the library.   
  
  
~*~  
  
  
Giles came out of his office to find Buffy, Xander, and Willow waiting for him, "So I see that they managed to arrange it for everyone to be in here this hour for study hall."  
  
"Yep. So, G-man, how was your vacation?" Xander asks.   
  
"Quite q-quiet actually. I-it's been fairly dead around here, no pun in-intended. Since Buffy killed the Master, but that is very normal after a m-major l-leader in a vampire community has been sl-slain . . ."  
  
Giles trails off as he sees Cordelia standing there, with some young-man's arm around her shoulder, apparently over hearing the whole thing.   
  
"Hey Giles, Buffy, Dorkhead, Willow." She greets cheerfully.   
  
"Hello Cordelia . . . um, who's that?" Buffy asks.  
  
"Isn't he the new student teacher/coach in gym?" Xander questions, recognizing him from his 3rd hour strength and conditioning class.  
  
"Yep!" Cordelia confirms, "This is Richie Ryan. Richie, that's Buffy Summers, Willow Rosenberg, Xander Harris, and Rupert Giles."  
  
"Nice to meet you." Richie greets, leaving his arm around her shoulder, "So, got any new 'badies', as Cordy calls them."  
  
"Gosh Richie, give them a minute. We just got back form Summer Vacation, brains don't function that well for the first couple of weeks." Cordelia pushes him into a chair, then puts her bag on the table.   
  
"First of all, I know you are bothered about Richie, but Angel didn't spaz about it, so I don't think you will. He's known for awhile, and he's pretty good at fighting."  
  
Giles feels a headache coming on, and it wasn't even lunch on the first day, "Alright, f-fine."  
  
"Oh, and if you guys want, I brought you all back presents from Paris. Most of the stuff in the bag is for Giles though."  
  
Xander's eyes light up, "Ooh! Presents! Gimmie, gimmie, gimmie!"  
  
Cordelia pulls out a bunch of bags, "These are for you Willow . . ." She hands the girl about 3 bags, "I kinda went nuts, and they aren't my size, so don't even try to give them back. This is for you Xander . . . and this is for you Buffy." She'd gotten Willow several outfits from the cutest boutique, she didn't know what had possessed her to do so, but when she got back to Duncan's, there they all were, and not a single thing was her size, or did they suite her as well as they would Willow. At the same shop she's gotten a dress for Buffy, and a cute dagger from Duncan's antique store that was very old, was supposed to be hidden in a boot. For Xander there were a few in fashion shirts, a cross necklace, and a self-help book (she'd picked the last one up at the airport gift shop, she saw it and immediately thought of him.)  
  
"And as for you Giles, I hope your gifts will be a big help around here, and keep you occupied. Richie's boss found them in an attic." She explains, as she pulls out two large stacks of ancient texts bound in leather, "A few are in French, I can translate those, several in English, two in Latin, and the rest are in Gaelic, Angel will have to help translate those."  
  
Giles looks through the titles, his eyes wide, "M-my God. Most of these books were thought to be lost over 200 years ago. T-thank you. Thank your boss Richie for me, please."  
  
"Oh it wasn't much." Richie admitted, "Mac has tons more of those one of a kinds books, anything thing he can do to help . . ."  
  
Giles nods his head, still stunned by the books that lay before him.  
  
"So, what's up Giles? Any uglies in town?" Buffy asks impatiently.  
  
"Ooh, yes. Just the usual, Angel said he destroyed four vamps last night and 20 vampires last week total, so things are slowly picking back up. But that's the m-most activity he's s-seen all summer."  
  
Cordelia listens closely, but with a practiced look of disinterest on her face, so as to look like she didn't care, but still know what's going on, since she couldn't do much to help openly, but she could still do her part. She filed her nails as she listened.   
  
"As anyone else talked to Angel?" Buffy asks fidgeting.  
  
Cordelia doesn't even look up, "Me."   
  
Everyone but Richie looks at her surprised.  
  
"You talked to Deadboy?" Xander asks shocked.   
  
"Yeah, a few times."   
  
Everyone looks at her, their mouths wide open. Last time they knew, she and Angel didn't talk.   
  
She looks at their stunned faces, "What? Richie, Adam, and I get bored. All alone in the mansion like that, so we go out at night. We saw him, we talked to him. He's a nice guy, for a vampire."  
  
"What on the Hellmouth did you two talk about?" Buffy asks, wanting to know what the girl was doing talking to the man she . . . er her good friend.  
  
Richie bits his lip to keep from laughing, he knew Cordelia was being very easy going about this just to mess with them.   
  
"Just this and that." Cordelia tells them vaguely, "Hey, did you guys know the curse which gave him his soul has a happiness clause? How depressing! If he has one moment of complete happiness it's bye-bye Angel, hello Angelus his total demon personality, who will take back over. No wonder the man broods so much."  
  
"No, Cordy, it's the black. It makes a person solemn and somber like that." Richie claims, actually being serious, cause I mean, have you ever seen a person who wears black all the time happy?!  
  
Giles is mildly confused, so he decides maybe they should get going, then maybe his head will clear, "Right, we really should get to work . . . Um Cordelia would you mind getting to work on translating this old book of spells? It might be of use to us someday."  
  
Cordelia sighs, but takes the book, "Do you have anything you want me to write them down into?"  
  
Giles goes to his office and returns with an old, but empty leather bound book and hands it to her.   
  
Cordelia settles down at the table, and Richie sits down next to her, since her reading of French wasn't at the same level as her speaking it. One thing was for sure, by the time she'd translated them all, she'd sure know how to read and write it! She pulls out a calligraphy pen, to give the words an artistic old-world quality, and opens the two books.   
  
She's just about to get started when something hits her, "Oh Giles, today I can only stay till 6th hour, then I need to go take my French III final, so I'll have another free hour. But after which, from now on, I'll be free 5th hour to 7th."  
  
Again she had surprised the whole group, except Richie, who knew that this was the true side of Cordelia, that she just didn't let out at school. This wasn't Cordelia Chase, Ice Queen, this was Cordy, one of his closest friends.   
  
  
  
b** Two hours later **/b  
  
  
Cordelia had decided to skip lunch, and now she had actually gotten through, and translated eight spells, with Richie's help. Silly stuff really. The book was split into sections, Earth, Fire, Wind, Water, Love, Transformation, and then some very serious spells, which were only meant to be used by very powerful wicca's. So far she's only translated some of the Earth stuff. A few growth spells, creation spells, and how to create an earthquake.  
  
  
Richie had fallen asleep about twenty minutes ago (he wasn't used to waking up so early). Cordelia looked at her watch and got up, she took the books into Giles office, "I have to go, I'll try to be back before the end of the hour, the final should be easy. Richie's sleeping out there, if he wakes up and asks you where I am just tell him I'm taking the exam."  
  
Giles looks up, "Oh, right. That's f-fine. I do wish to talk to you when you return though." He warns her.   
  
Cordelia nodded her head, and was on her way, having a feeling he wasn't going to be praising her, rather reprimanding her.   
  
  
  
b** 20 minutes later **/b  
  
  
Cordelia gave the shocked French teacher, who'd been her teacher last year (Cordelia had barely passed), her completed exam, which she'd breezed through. The teacher asked her to wait while she corrected the exam. Five minutes later the amazed teacher told Cordelia she'd passed with flying colors and that she could go.   
  
She slowly walked back to the library, worried that maybe she'd let to much out to Giles . . . no, there was no way he could suspect anything, but the other thing he could be upset about would be just as bad.   
  
  
Giles was a little surprised that Cordelia was back already, but he got down to business, "We must discuss this whole Richie thing."  
  
"And Adam I'm assuming." She sighed, "They both can keep secrets Giles. They are well versed in that area."  
  
"How l-long have you kno-known these gentlemen?"   
  
"I've known Richie for two months, Adam for only one, but we are all very close. They moved her from Paris with me, and they are staying with me until my parents come back from Switzerland. They bought a great mansion near me, and both just really want to help out."  
  
"How much have you informed them about things?" Giles asks worriedly.  
  
"Not much really. Adam has been fighting evil dudes for a long time. Actually he's a reformed bad guy!" Cordelia catches the look on Giles' face, "Seriously Giles, don't worry. They aren't going to tell anyone! Angel hasn't killed them, so you know they aren't vamps, plus you've seen Richie in sunlight. Angel's even talked to them. I'm not an airhead like everyone thinks. And I'm not gullible or stupid."   
  
Cordelia starts yelling, waking up Richie in the other room, "They are the only people I've ever confirmed to that vampires and demons are real, because they trusted me with their secrets. I trust them with my life Giles! Give them a chance, because they're sticking around, whether you losers like it or not!" Cordelia grabbed the French spell book and the book she was writing them down in. She flipped her hair over her shoulder, then stormed out of the library, with Richie running after her.  
  
Cordelia couldn't help but wish as she walked out of the door that they would give her more credit.   
  
  
~*~  
  
  
b** Soon after sunset at the library **/b  
  
  
Angel walks into the library and finds Giles alone in his office, "First day of school, right?" He questions, making his presence known.   
  
"Huh? Oh, hello Angel. Y-yes, today was the first day of school. They are all back form wherever they went to get away from this place."  
  
"Everyone back to work patrolling and stuff already?"  
  
"Yes, Buffy's on patrol with Xander and Willow went along too. There is something I n-need to speak with you about. Please, sit down."  
  
Angel raised his eyebrow, but sat down, then waits for the watcher to speak.   
  
"It's about Cordelia . . ." The watcher doesn't notice the vampire sitting across from his desk tense at her name, "It seems she made some friends in Paris, and has told them about . . . well everything. Actually, I don't know what she's told them, and what they already knew."  
  
"You mean Adam and Richie?" Angel questions, thinking about the two men that he'd seen Cordelia with the first night he saw her back.   
  
"Yes, so you have spoken with them."  
  
"A bit, they have an off smell about them, actually all three of them do. They seem perfectly normal, but Adam seems . . . older then he looks. But I know he's not a vampire, I heard his heart beat . . ."  
  
"Sorcerers perhaps?" Giles suggests.   
  
"I don't know . . . other then that, they seem perfectly fine. I don't pick up any bad 'vibes', as Cordelia would put it."  
  
"Yes, plus there the matter of Cordelia herself. She seems . . . different."  
  
"How so?" Angel asks curious, his suspicions being confirmed that she'd been acting weird.   
  
"Well, she's more helpful, considerate . . . I mean she b-brought back stuff for everyone, even me! She brought back s-so many t-texts, which were im-impossible to have. All of them one of a kind, and m-missing for h-hundreds of years. She shouldn't have those. Neither should have Richie's boss."  
  
"Don't worry about it, I'll look into them, if it makes you feel better." Angel offers that last part not to make Giles feel better, but for himself to feel better about Cordelia's two houseguests.   
  
  
~*~  
  
  
b** The Chase mansion, Cordelia's bedroom **/b  
  
  
Cordelia punches in a long string of numbers then waits as the phone rang on the other end.  
  
"Duncan." Answered the other end.   
  
"Hey MacLeod, told you I'd call!" Cordelia greets.   
  
"Cordelia! It's great to hear your voice. It's so strange around here without you."  
  
"I hope that means you miss me! Cause I actually miss you. Adam makes me get up at five am!"  
  
Duncan laughs, "Well at least he's taking care of you."  
  
"Yeah well I just know that as soon as my parents come home, he's still going to be calling me at five am to come over to his mansion to work out." She grumbled, "But I have to admit, this isn't just a social call. I need your help."  
  
"Of course, anything, what do you need?"  
  
"It's about Angel . . . the vampire with a soul? Well it seems that . . ." Cordelia launches into the curse story and tells him about the curse, " . . . so I need your help to, anchor his soul permanently." She leaves out the part about her being in love with Angel though, "I know that if anyone can find a spell or something to help him, you could. Even though your thousands of miles away"  
  
Duncan was touched by the story, "Tell ya what. I'm going to do you one better. I'll pack up all my books and come to Sunnydale to help you."  
  
"You will?!" Cordelia's shocked.   
  
"Yes, truthfully, I'm really coming to see you though. All my good friends have moved to Sunnydale, leaving me all alone."  
  
"The truth is revealed, you're a big softy. So, when are you gonna get your butt here MacLeod, I need to warn Adam and Richie when we have to stop having those wild three-ways."  
  
"A week. Hey, don't warn them! I was hoping to get in on the action." Duncan teases.  
  
Adam and Richie, who had been standing at the door, listening to Cordelia talk to Duncan on the speakerphone, give each other looks.   
  
Adam walks in and gasps in mock horror, "Why didn't you say something then Duncan? We could have had some wild times in Paris!"  
  
"Yeah!" Richie agrees, playing along, "It could have been hot!"  
  
Cordelia smiles evilly, then exclaims, "Adam, quit nibbling on my ear, you know what that does to me!" She pretends to moan, "Richie, at least wait till we hang up!"  
  
Duncan on the other end, way in Paris doesn't know what to think. They were joking right? . . . his mouth tries to form words, but can't.   
  
Richie gets into it, "Ooh Cordy, I love it when you do that."  
  
"Hang up the damn phone!" Adam pretends to groan. "Ooh baby the things you do to me . . ."  
  
"Bye MacLeod." Cordelia pretends to get out breathlessly. Then she ends the call.   
  
They all burst out laughing and collapse on the bed in stitches.   
  
"I think he thought we were serious." Cordy laughs. "Adam, loved that last part," she lowers her voice doing a ridiculous impression, "Ooh baby the things you do to me. Passé, but funny."  
  
Then they all start laughing harder.  
  
Cordelia calms down first, "I wish I could have seen his face . . . oh god, he'll be here in a week! He's gonna be like totally suspicious!"  
  
"Hey, you started it Cordy." Adam reminds her.  
  
"Yeah, we just went along with it." Richie agrees, nodding his head affirmatively.   
  
  
~*~  
  
  
Angel had arrived at the part in the conversation when the guy on the other end said that he'd come to Sunnydale. Missing the rest of it. He wasn't looking in the window, but he had heard the 'three-way' with his supernatural hearing. He was about to be sick (if vampire could get sick), when he heard them laughing, and realized that it was a prank. He breathed a sigh of relief, both because Cordelia wasn't having (gulp) sex, and because it looked like Richie and Adam were truly her friends, along with this, Duncan MacLeod fellow . . . that name sounded familiar though, very familiar. But where from . . .   
  
Angel settled back in the tree, making the decision to make sure that everything was kosher with Cordelia. Then he tried to remember where he'd heard that name before.  
  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~   
  
  
  
  



	4. Death / The Masks We Wear

  
bThis I Promise You /b  
IBy Jules/i  
  
  
IbChapter 4/I/b  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
  
Cordelia took a deep breath, before going into her father's study.   
  
Her parents were due back last night.  
  
She'd had a bad feeling all week, and no matter how morbid it had felt, a few day's ago she'd had her father change her legal guardian to Duncan before he stepped one foot out of his hotel room that day. He'd promised and had drawn up the papers and signed them that night. And had them filed, making everything legally air tight. Though a he had made her promise a thorough explanation who the hell Duncan MacLeod was, and why she wanted him to be her legal guardian before he'd got home. But he always did everything his little princess asked him too, and a request this odd wasn't too unusual, so he did so as she had requested.  
  
  
Now was the time to face the music, she just prayed the story she'd prepared would sound convincing enough that her father would believe it.   
  
Cautiously she opened the door and stuck her head in, it was dark, and very empty. The bad feeling she'd been having grew worse. She ran into her parent's room, flinging the door open.   
  
It was empty.  
  
The curtain's still drawn closed, every thing exactly as it had been after Carmen had prepared it the day before in anticipation of Cordelia's parents' arrival.   
She looked around more, and found her mother's medications weren't on the nightstand where they always were when her ailing mother was home.   
  
Theories raced though Cordelia's mind I'Where are they? They didn't come back. If they were going to be delayed they would have called me. Where could they -'/I  
  
The doorbell interrupted her thoughts. Cordelia raced down the grand staircase, surprisingly fast for someone in platforms, and opened the door to a graying man in a dark suit waiting with a younger dark haired man in Khakis, a dark blue shirt, a tie, and a sport coat.  
  
"Miss Cordelia Chase?" The younger one questioned.   
  
She silently nodded her head.   
  
"I'm Detective James Donner, this is my partner Detective Attkins." Detective Donner tells her, while they flashed their badges, "We really need to speak with you, about a very urgent matter."  
  
"Please, follow me." Cordelia swallows the lump in her throat, then leads them into the living room, her heart pounding heavily in her chest, dreading anything that was about to come forth out of his mouth.   
  
"Miss Chase, there's been a . . . terrible incident . . . Your parents, their chauffeur was forced out at gunpoint. Then the man who did this, posing as the chauffeur apparently took the into the woods outside of town at gun point, then proceeded to . . . I'm sorry Miss Chase, but I'm afraid they were murdered. Quite viciously at that, by some sick jerk."  
  
Cordelia's mind practically shut down, she puts on a could, calm, collected appearance, "When?"  
  
"Last night, someone found them this morning, and we can as soon as their bodies were managed to be identified." The gruff older detective answers this time.   
  
"Do you have any idea who did this?"  
  
"We suspect it's a copycat, of a serial killer whom ran rampant in 1828, in the San Francisco area. One of the most brutal killers of the time. The . . . um . . . well method in which your parents' murders were committed was identical to that of Jonathan Damians. Don't worry though Miss Chase, we'll catch him."  
  
In the back of her mind she cynically laughs at the idea of the Sunnydale police force actually solving this, but it doesn't really register that she even thought this. Nothing does. Cordelia feels her while mind shut down, and she goes into autopilot. Later she doesn't even remember leading the two gentlemen to the door, not uttering a single word.   
  
She closes it behind them, then walks to the stairs. Cordelia bumps into a vase of flowers, but when the priceless vase falls to the floor, shattering, she just keeps going, not even registering the fact that a shard of porcelain had reflected off the marble, then sliced her leg. Into her room, where after she locks the door behind her she curls up at her window, staring unseeingly at the cloudy sky, numb.   
  
  
~*~  
  
  
b** School, 5th hour **/b  
  
  
Everyone was sitting around, just waiting for something to happen so things would basically start.   
  
Buffy and Willow were talking about the math class they had together earlier, Richie was messing around with Buffy's training equipment, and Giles, was being Giles.  
  
Xander bursts through the library doors, carrying the morning's newspaper, "Has anyone read today's newspaper? Or seen the news?"  
  
"Wow, Xander, you were reading the newspaper?" Richie asks amazed, "Isn't that a little advanced for you?" Picking on Xander was a trait he'd picked up from Cordelia, and he really enjoyed it.   
  
"Shut up." He turns to the other three, "Has anyone talked to Cordelia?"  
  
"Nope." Buffy answers walking over, "Come to think of it, I haven't seen her yet today." She plucks the newspaper out of his hands, "Why?"  
  
Xander takes back the newspaper and reads aloud from the front page;  
  
IThe mutilated corpses of two of Sunnydale's most prestigious citizens were found in the woods outside of town early this morning. Jonathan and Virginia Chase were returning from the Switzerland vacation, which had kept them out of town for the past three months. They had just landed and were on their way home when an unknown man, who was impersonating as their driver took them to the woods, on the outskirts of town and brutally murdered them. Police refuse to give any statement on whether they have any idea on who committed this heinous crime. The Chases' leave behind their only child, and sole-heir or their vast estate, 16-year-old daughter Cordelia Hope Chase, a junior at Sunnydale High, whom was unavailable for comment.'/I  
  
  
"Oh shit." Richie mumbles jumping up and grabbing the keys to his new bike, "Giles, tell Coach there was a family emergency for me. Damn it, Cordy's all alone in that damn mansion, of all the mornings for Adam to be out of town . . ." then he was gone.  
  
"Poor Cordelia." Willow bemoans.   
  
"And she hadn't even seen her parents since the beginning of June. You know, I actually feel sorry for her." Xander laments.   
  
  
~*~  
  
  
  
b** Three hours later **/b  
  
  
The maid had let Richie in and told him that Cordelia had locked herself in her room at seven am that morning and she hadn't been out since. Cordelia also hadn't eaten all day.   
  
Richie pounded on her door every ten minutes for the first hour, begging her to unlock the door. He'd put it down to every 20 minutes, but still no response.   
  
Roseanne had brought Richie a chair to sit in, once it had become obvious that he wouldn't be leaving anytime soon.   
  
  
  
b** Seven am **/b  
  
  
Roseanne let Duncan, who'd just come from the airport, in.  
  
"Señor Ryan is up waiting on Señora Chase. Such a horrible thing. No?" She tells him leading him to Cordelia's room.   
  
"Shouldn't they be in school?" he asked as he was hit with The Buzz.   
  
"Què? Señor, no one will be expecting her to come in." Then she spoke no more.   
  
Duncan was confused, so say the least, then surprised once more when he found Richie slumped in a chair, obviously asleep.  
  
Roseanne left, and then Duncan shook his protégé awake.  
  
Richie woke with a start, "Oh, Duncan. It's you, man I was so tired I didn't even wake up when my sensors went off."  
  
"Clearly. Now what on earth this going on? The maid muttered something about a horrible thing . . ."  
  
"Oh God, Mac, it's like, really bad. A couple of days ago, Cordelia's parents were on their way home, finally, after not seeing Cordy in like three months. Someone impersonated their driver, then killed them. At least that's what the newspaper said. From what Roseanne said, Cordy locked herself in the bedroom, after the detectives came and gave her the news, completely out of it. Like 24 hours ago. I've been trying to get her to open up the door since I got here yesterday, as soon as I heard, around 10 am." Richie takes a deep breath, "Roseanne also said that Cordelia knocked over an expensive vase, accidentally. When it hit the floor, it shattered, and that Cordy didn't even flinch when apiece of it cut her, or seem to realize that she'd broken anything. She didn't do anything to stop the bleeding from the gash on her leg, courtesy of the glass."  
  
Duncan tries to comprehend what had happened, "Her parents were murdered?"  
  
"Yeah, and it was brutal."  
  
"So have you talked to her?"  
  
"Except for yelling through her locked door to open up, no."  
  
"Alright, why don't you go do whatever it is you do during the day . . . I'll take care of Cordelia, and call your cell phone as soon as I get a response."  
  
Richie sighs, then nods his head, "Alright, I'll tell her friends what's up. And I know Adam will be here, as soon as he hears about what happened, but he's gone on business. He's not due back until Saturday."  
  
"Alright."  
  
Once Richie leaves, Duncan pounds on the door.  
  
"Cordelia? Its Duncan, let me in."  
  
No response.  
  
"Cordelia, if you don't let me in, I'm going to break the door down." He warns her.   
  
Still no response.   
  
"Fine. I'm busting down the door on the count of three, 1 . . . 2 . . . 3!" With that he kicked the door with all his might, not knocking it off the hinges, but opening it.  
  
Duncan cautiously enters the slowly brightening room.   
  
Cordelia sits at her window, just like the day before, starring at nothing.   
  
"Cordelia?" He questions tentatively as he walks toward her.   
  
He squats down in front of her, "Cordelia?" Looking at her glassed over eyes, gently he puts his hand on her shoulder.  
  
Cordelia feels the hand on her shoulder, and slowly 'wakes up', "Duncan."  
  
"Hey." Relieved to see the recognition in her eyes.   
  
Cordelia feels her eyes well up with tears, "They're gone Duncan, they're gone. I never saw them much, but they were my Mom and my Daddy. I hadn't even seen then in three months, now some manic took them away forever." She sobs.   
  
Duncan immediately hugs her.   
  
"I had this bad feeling all week . . . I even had Daddy change my legal guardian to you, just in case, but I never warned him. I never even tried to tell them. God, if I had warned them they would be alive."  
  
"Cordelia, you don't know the that. They might have come anyway. Or probably something else bad would have happened, maybe something worse. Destiny, fate, what ever you want to call it warned you, but you can never know when to trust it and when not to. I know it hurts, and it probably will for a long time. But you can't blame yourself."  
  
"I just want them back . . . or I want the man who killed them to pay."  
  
Duncan can tell that she was out for blood, "Do you know who did it?"  
  
"Well the bonehead detectives said they suspected it was some copy cat of a serial killer . . . what's his name . . . something like Jon Denim or something."  
  
Duncan's blood runs cold, "Do you mean Jonathan Damians?"   
  
Cordelia nodded her head, yawning, for she hadn't slept in over 24 hours.   
  
"Damn, then it wasn't a copy cat. He's an immortal, like us. But don't worry about it, I'll take care of it."  
  
"An immortal?"  
  
"Yeah, and one of the very evil ones . . ."  
  
"Why would he do this? Why would he kill my parents?" She asks in an anguished voice.   
  
"I don't know, yet . . ." He looks at her tired eyes, "You need to get some sleep."  
  
"But I'm not tired, and I want to help you find him." She protested.   
  
"No, you are going to sleep. And I don't want an argument about this. You will change into your night-clothes, eat something, and you will get into bed and go to sleep."  
  
All Cordelia wanted was to make sure who murdered her parents suffers for what he did, but it was very obvious that Duncan wouldn't let her do anything for now.  
  
"I'll bring you up something to eat in a few seconds."  
  
"Fine."  
  
  
  
b** 15 minutes later **/b  
  
  
After making sure that Cordelia ate what he'd brought her, he'd closed her curtains against the bright sun.   
  
As soon as Cordelia's head touched the pillow her exhaustion hit her full force, and she falls into a deep, dreamless sleep quickly.   
  
  
~*~  
  
  
Richie arrived at the library, looking exhausted.   
  
Everyone sits up, looking at him expectantly.  
  
"She's not doing well. Cordy locked herself in her room, yesterday. She hadn't eaten since then, or unlocked the door. Trust me, I spent most of the night trying to get her to open the door. If Mac hadn't shown up I'd still be asleep in a chair by her door." He flops down in a chair and rubs his face with his hands, "She's got to be a complete wreak, or in total shock."  
  
"Who are we talking about?" Angel questions, emerging from the book stacks.  
  
"You haven't heard?" Buffy questions, surprised.   
  
"I guess not."  
  
"Two days ago, Cordelia's parents bit the big one, met their maker, went towards the light, lost in the game of life . . ." Xander 'explains'.  
  
Giles cuts the obnoxious teen off, "They were barbarically murdered."  
  
"Any signs that it as something that we need to take care of?" Angel questions, trying to keep his mind off the fact that Cordelia would be in a lot of pain right now.   
  
"No, this time it was just a normal psychotic killer, who killed two very rich people, leaving all their valuables behind." Richie tells them.   
  
"I hope they catch him soon. It's terrifying to think some horrible person who likes to cut up people with long knives is out there." Willow shudders.   
  
"I know. And since he's human . . ." Buffy trails off.   
  
"Which reminds me, in light of these n-new development everyone will be p-pairing up. No more patrolling on your own Buffy. You and Angel will do your round together tonight. Xander, Willow, please just try to stay together, and keep an eye out f-for each other. Everyone remember to be v-very cautious, until this murder has been c-caught."  
  
"Alright Giles." Buffy humors her watcher, she was the slayer for Pete's sake, she was not afraid of some mere human. She kicked demon ass everyday.   
  
Angel nodded his head in agreement, "I'll pick you up at your house after the sun goes down."  
  
"'k, so Giles, got anything for us to do? As much as I hate the research scene, we really need something to do to keep our minds occupied." Buffy admitted.   
  
"God idea Buffy. Xander, you could go through some texts. Willow, you can do some of that research on that infernal machine. Buffy, we'll work on your training. And Angel, I'd completely forgotten, but I have some ancient texts in Gaelic I need you to translate if you would, when you have the chance. They are in my office. I'll go get them. It would really help us out."  
  
"Sure." Angel agreed, following Giles.   
  
Once in the office, Giles oddly closes the door behind them.   
  
[Those of you with sick minds, just stop it! I KNOW what you're thinking, and there is NO way on the Hellmouth I'd write a slasher! That's icky and gross. Not that I have anything against gay people, but I don't like those kind of fan fictions.]  
  
"I know this isn't the most appropriate time, but this, as you know, is the first time we've had a chance to discuss the matter we talked of earlier."  
  
Angel nods his head understanding, "Of course. I did background checks on them. Richie's 27. And orphan, from the wrong part of town. Used to get in a lot of trouble, then he just stopped, when he started working for Duncan MacLeod. He's the one that Richie calls Mac. Adam is 29, very successful, but it's not clear what he does. He doesn't have a record, but strangely he also doesn't have any medical information either, it's as if he's never seen a doctor. Both moved here from Paris, at the same time as Cordelia came back, on the same flight actually."  
  
"Hmm, interesting. What else?"  
  
"Well, from what I saw when they were living together . . ."  
  
"What?" Giles looks up sharply from the books he was putting before Angel.   
  
"Richie and Adam lived with Cordelia from the moment they got here from Paris, until a few days ago, when the two moved into their own mansion, which Adam had purchased, just down the street from Cordelia." Angel tells him  
  
"But how on earth would her parents let her do this?" Giles questions.   
  
"They probably didn't know." Angel admitted, "I was talking with Cordelia, one night when they were out, and she told me she hadn't wanted to be alone in the mansion for two weeks, so they were staying with her. Apparently, Mr. and Mrs. Chase were ok with letting their 16-year-old daughter fending for herself for two weeks." Angel told Giles disapprovingly, "Even with the high mortality rate in Sunnydale. Even the servants were given vacation time, so she would have been completely alone, unprotected, for two weeks if Richie and Adam hadn't stayed in the guestrooms."  
  
Giles stares at Angel, a little shocked at the hostility in the vampires voice, and appalled at the actions of the Chases, "I don't wish to speak ill of the dead, but my God, how self involved were the girl's parents?"  
  
"Cordelia let it slip that they did this a lot, leaving her basically on her own. I don't think she really saw them all that much. The tone of her voice though . . . you could practically see the sadness when she told me how lonely it got there, alone all the time."  
  
"Isn't it strange that the girl the majority of people in this school envy the most, and all want to look and be like, is actually the loneliest. She seems so self-centered, like she doesn't really care too." Giles laments.   
  
"We all have our masks." Angel told him, then he took the books, left the office, and disappeared into the shadows.   
  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~   
  
  
  
  
  



	5. Jonathan Damians

  
bThis I Promise You /b  
IBy Jules/i  
  
  
IbChapter 5/I/b  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
b** Two days later **/b  
  
  
Adam ran in the Chase mansion getting hit with a major buzz, "Cordelia?!"  
  
He didn't really wait for an answer, then ran up the stairs and threw her bedroom door open, "Cordelia?"  
  
  
She was back at the window, she heard his voice and turned her head, "Adam!" she ran over to him and threw her arms around his neck. Adam hugged her tightly.   
  
"I came home as soon as I heard darling. How are you doing?" He asked.   
  
"I just can't believe their gone . . . they were murdered by another immortal."  
  
"What? Who?"  
  
"Mac told me, Jonathan Damians. The police think it's a copycat, but Mac says that he's an immortal, a very evil one." She tells him sniffing.   
  
"He is."  
  
"Have you met him?" Cordelia asks, walking downstairs with him.   
  
Adam sighs, then nods his head, "I used to be his trainer, I taught him when he first found out he was an immortal, then about 200 years ago, he snapped. Jon became obsessed with being the last immortal, and believing that everyone else was below him. He started going after newbies, immies, and mortals. Literally leaving a path of slaughtered bodies behind him. It became a new game to him; killing more and then he started killing important people, seeing whom he could murder with out getting caught. He kills prominent citizen, then goes after even more people in the same town, then he moves on. I'm sorry to say, your parents are just the latest in a long line of murders."  
  
"But he's still here right? He hasn't killed his other victims yet." Cordelia tells him, the wheels turning in her head.   
  
"Cordelia, don't even think about it. Mac and I will take care of it." Adam tells her.  
  
"But . . ." Cordelia tries to protest, but is interrupted.   
  
"Cordelia, darling, you must understand, Jon is a very powerful and experience immortal. You are still new to this, and you've never even taken anyone's head. Now please, promise me, if you hear anything, you'll tell Dunc or me."  
  
"I . . ."  
  
"Promise me." Adam demanded.   
  
Cordelia nodded her head, "Alright, I promise." What Adam didn't see however, was Cordelia's hands, which had her fingers crossed behind her back.  
  
  
~*~  
  
  
b** Angel's apartment **/b  
  
  
Angel paced before his fireplace, his mind torn. He wanted to go help Cordelia, it was killing him to think she was in pain.   
  
She hadn't been to school all week, and no one had seen her, so he had no idea whether or not she was ok.   
  
Another part of him demanded to know why he was so concerned about her wellbeing. It wasn't like they were friends or anything, acquaintances at best . . . he wasn't supposed to worry about her so much . . . he wasn't allowed to.   
  
Angel growled in frustrations, then left the mansion slamming the door behind him, to pick up Buffy for another night of patrol.   
  
  
b** The graveyard **  
** Hours later **/b  
  
Angel and Buffy had dusted six vamps and they were about to move on, when they heard a struggle in the bushes.  
  
They nodded to each other, and one snuck up on both sides. Buffy jumped in and punched a guy holding some woman. The woman immediately ran off.   
  
The man fought back with Buffy with surprising strength. Angel came to the rescue, pulling the dude off Buffy.   
  
Punches, kicks, and insults were thrown between the three, it was obvious that the guy had been trying to do something. He pulled a knife and started expertly slashing at the slayer and the handsome vampire. He got Angel on the arm, and Buffy on the leg.   
  
Buffy grabbed him by his neck, and suddenly, there was a snap from his neck, and the man stopped struggling, and went limp. She dropped the body in shock.  
  
  
She backed away, looking at her hand, "Oh God . . . I killed someone! I killed somebody! Oh God, oh God, oh God . . ."  
  
Angel snapped out of his shock of seeing her kill someone, then shook Buffy's shoulders, "Buffy, it's ok, you did what you had to do."  
  
"Angel, I killed someone. I broke someone's neck! What kind of person snaps a guy's neck? I knew I was stronger then him, no matter how bad the guy was, he had no chance against me . . ."  
  
Angel took a look at the body and noticed something long under his trench coat. Carefully he opened it and pulled out a sword.   
  
"What's that?" Buffy asked, noticing Angel's find.  
  
"It appears to be a Katana, a Japanese sword."  
  
"Why would he be carrying a sword in this day in age." Buffy asks calming down.  
  
"That is a good question."  
  
"To Giles?" Buffy asks, still wringing her hands.  
  
"Yeah . . ."  
  
Buffy turns and starts to the high school, Angel took one last look around, a quick glance at the body, then followed her.   
  
  
~*~  
  
  
b** The library **/b  
  
  
Giles was writing in his watcher's journal when Angel and Buffy came in, carrying a very old sword, and Buffy looking quite agitated.   
  
"Oh dear, what's happened?"  
  
"I killed someone." Buffy blurted out, then quickly ran through what had happened.  
  
  
Giles listened carefully, then gave his opinion, "Buffy, he obviously gave you no choice in the matter, you did what had to be done . . . Now where did that beautiful sword come from."  
  
"I found it in his coat." Angel answered.   
  
Giles takes the sword and examines it, "Oh my, I'm no expert, but this is at least a century old, and by the looks of it, it's used often, and recently . . . but that's all I can tell. I'll give this to Richie, his boss is a swords expert, he will be able to tell us more."  
  
"Ok, can I go home then? It's been a long night . . ." Buffy sighs.   
  
"Of course, Angel, see her home would you?"   
  
"Of course." Agrees Angel.   
  
  
~*~  
  
  
b** The graveyard **/b  
  
  
Jonathan Damians lungs filled with air once more. He stood up, cracks his stiff neck, and then shakes himself out.  
  
"That bitch killed me! And she let my pray get away. She will pay for this." Jon reached for his sword, only to find it missing, "One of them stole my katana! I love that sword! I stole it from a victim 150 years ago! Damn it! For this, I will kill you both twice." Then he stalks off into the night, pissed as hell.   
  
  
~*~  
  
  
b** A few days later ** /b  
  
  
Buffy was walking down the street, on her way home from patrol, when she saw him . . . She stopped dead in her tracks.   
  
"Oh my . . ." She gasped, whispering to herself, "How is that possible, I snapped his neck, how the hell is he alive . . . of course that would explain why he was so strong. But what is he?"  
  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~   
  
  
  



	6. Revenge a.k.a. Cordy's Secret Revealed

  
  
bThis I Promise You /b  
IBy Jules/i  
  
  
IbChapter 6/I/b  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
  
Buffy burst into the library, obviously very disturbed, "I saw him on the street. He was alive."  
  
"What on earth are you talking about?" Giles questions.  
  
"That man! It should be impossible, but I just saw the guy I know I killed last week. The one that was a mortal."  
  
"That's impossible Buffy." Angel states. "He was human . . . wasn't he? He had to have been, he had a heart beat, and the blood he left was human too."  
  
"What did he look like?" Cordelia asks suddenly.  
  
Buffy gives her a look, but tells her, "Um, curly blond hair, about 45 . . . goatee. Muscular build, dark cloths, and really alive."  
  
"Jonathan." Cordelia proclaims in a hushed voice.   
  
"You know him?" Angel questions.   
  
"No . . . not really. Just that you didn't kill him."  
  
"Do you know how I kill this 'demon'?" Buffy asks sarcastically.  
  
"You don't . . . he's human." Cordelia answers.   
  
"How do you know?" Buffy demands  
  
"That's not important." Cordelia tells them darkly, "The fact remains, he's human. You'd have a really unfair advantage. People like that always gets what's coming to them though, so don't worry about it."  
  
  
Willow watches the dark haired girl with a lot of interest. Something was up.  
  
  
Everyone else just shrugged if off as something stemming from her parents death.  
  
Cordelia pretends to look at her watch, "I have to go. Duncan will be wondering where I am." Cordelia picks up her purse, then leaves.   
  
  
Willow 'looks' at her watch too, "I'd better go too."  
  
"Do you need someone to walk you home?" Xander asks.   
  
"Um, ok."  
  
They leave, Willow looks down both hallways, and sees Cordelia's retreating form.  
  
"Come on, but be quiet." Willow orders.   
  
Xander wonders what's up, but smartly stays silent.  
  
  
They follow Cordelia too her locker, out of which the girl pulls her light-weight black trench coat, and the katana Duncan gave her.   
  
Willow and Xander's eyes grow large at the sight of the sheathed blade, but both remain silent.  
  
Cordelia puts on the scabbard, then the trench coat, which successfully concealed the katana.  
  
  
  
b** 15 minutes later **/b  
  
Cordelia had been thinking for a few days about where to find Jonathan, and when Buffy had mentioned seeing him, it finally hit her where he would be. She quickly got the woods at the edge of town, close by to where her parents had fallen to their deaths. She felt The Buzz moments before she went into the clearing, where her parents had spent their final moments. Jonathan was there, looking around for the other immortal that had altered his senses, his sword drawn.   
  
Willow and Xander watch in amazement at the dense edge of the clearing.   
  
"Hello Jonathan." Cordelia greets coldly.  
  
"I'm afraid I don't have the pleasure of knowing your name kitten."  
  
"Cordelia. Cordelia Chase."  
  
"Aha, so you are my first victim's only daughter. Aren't you a little young to be an immortal? You look as though you just graduated primary school."  
  
"Well, unfortunately, we don't get to choose when we die now do we. And sadly, I got mugged in Paris. I screamed, the mugger shot his gun, right through the lung too. Really an unpleasant way to die."  
  
"Poor baby. That must have really been just devastating for you."  
  
"I wouldn't say that, because now I'm an immortal, and I've made some great friends because of it." She tells him, circling, "Now I'm tired of talking. Can we get to the part where I kill you?" Cordelia asks, pulling out her katana.  
  
"Such impatience, young one. Obviously you're new at this."  
  
"Yep, in this case looks aren't deceiving. I was killed for the first time this June, and you're gonna be the first person I behead."  
  
"Your first? How sad, when I kill you there won't be much a quickening then." He answers, disappointed, starting to circle her as well.   
  
"Lets go baby." Cordelia prompts.  
  
The little fear Cordelia had, but didn't show, disappeared as her training took over. The clashing sound of metal against metal filled the air.   
  
Willow is fascinated at the graceful, yet deadly battle happening before her very eyes. Her mind still very much in Pandemonium, over some of the things that had been said. Immortal? Cordelia was dead . . . no, she still had a heartbeat but . . . By the Goddess this was confusing. Willow knew someone was going to die in this battle, and she also knew that even if Cordelia had come back before, this time, if Cordy fell, she would never rise again. Her mind told her she should stop this fight to the finish, but her heart knew that it had to happen.   
  
  
Things seem to move like someone was pushing fast forward in a movie. Perry, perry, lunge, perry and such. Suddenly the man was on his knees, his sword out of reach, and Cordelia stood over him, her katana raised high.  
  
"This is for my parents, and all the other pain, grief, and anger you've caused! Besides, there can be only one." She declares, then she severs his head from his body.  
  
Willow and Xander felt sick, she'd killed him! She'd chopped of his head. But nothing that they'd ever seen in their entire supernatural filled lives prepared them for what was about to happen.   
  
Lightning starts flashing, hitting Cordelia, she screams as things behind her explode for no reason what so ever. [See, told you it was cool to watch.] She drops to her knees, absorbing the feeling over power and strength transferring to her for the first time.  
  
Then all was quiet.   
  
  
The two hidden were in shock for a moment, then they rushed to the girl, still on her knees.   
  
"Cordelia! Holy shit!" Xander cries.   
  
Cordelia looks up at the two in horror, "No, you're not here. You can't be here damn it! Oh God, you're here. Why the hell are you here?" She wipes off her blade in the grass, then sheaths it.  
  
"What on earth was that?" Willow asks, ignoring Cordelia's own query.   
  
"It's called a quickening. Something a mortal is never supposed to know about, let alone see one!" She tells them stalking away groaning.   
  
"What happened?" They ask following her.   
  
"Oh, I absorbed all his power and strength. And don't worry about Jonathan Damians anymore . . ." Cordelia looks back calming down, "I can promise you never have to worry about him again. It's the only way to kill his kind and make sure they don't come back. You have to behead them."  
  
"How do you know that?" Xander asks nosily.   
  
"You losers can never tell anyone about this. What you saw, what I told you, and what I'm about to tell you." She orders fiercely.  
  
"Will you please tell us what's up?" Xander begs.  
  
"We won't tell! We promise!" Willow assures her.  
  
"God, they are going to kill me for this. You aren't supposed to know about us."  
Cordelia wails again, forgetting what she was about to say.  
  
"You're one of those immortals I've read about in Giles books. I thought you were just legends." Willows eyes are wide.  
  
"You're supposed to this that." Cordelia laments, "We're supposed to keep it secret from all but our own kind as much as possible."  
  
"How do you know your 'kind'?" Willow asks as they walk back through the woods.   
  
"Every time an immortal comes in the vicinity of another, there's this kind of Buzz that we feel until we see the other. It helps us identify our kind, as well as serve as a warning that another is near, because of The Game."  
  
"So the Game is real too?"  
  
"Well, that's the belief. Whether the end result is true or not is a MAJOR issue that I wish I were surer about. What you saw though is the end result of the beheading after the battle. We absorb the opponents strength and power."  
  
"That is so cool! And you'll never get old and wrinkly!"  
  
"I know!" Cordelia perks up, "And if I can keep my head, I'm going to live forever."  
  
"Maybe we should tell Buffy . . ." Xander suggests.   
  
Cordelia's voice tugs at them beseechingly, "Please, don't . . . never tell. Richie, Duncan, and Adam will tell everyone, if I die. But please, don't tell her. It's not like it would serve any purpose. I'm doing more now then anyone knows. I go out and take care of baddies every night. That man I just killed, he'd been a nutso-crazo killer for hundreds of years, killing the innocent, had known of my, or my friends, existence in town, he would have come after us. Besides, it's still all very new to me."  
  
"We won't tell Cordy, we promise . . . on one condition." Xander tells her.  
  
Cordelia looks at him in shock, "You're making conditions on something that might mean my survival?" her eyes harden.   
  
"Calm down!" Xander protests, "I just want you to train us in fighting. Willow and I are tired of standing on the sidelines and just getting in the way when we try to help."  
  
Cordelia's expression immediately softens, "Why didn't you just ask me then? If you want, you can join me for my training at the mansion, I just warn you, we start at 5:15 a.m., everyday. Except Saturdays and Sundays, then we start at 8:30, it was the only day I could get them to stretch on, because we train extra hours, because it's the weekend."  
  
Xander and Willow give each other looks, their decision made, "We'll be there . . ."  
  
Cordelia smiles, "Ok, don't forget to wear stuff to work out in, and a change of clothes. From now on, you can take showers and change for school at my house. I'll set up a couple of guestrooms for you two. In fact, why don't you guys bring like a suitcase of clothes, that way you'll always have a wide selection to choose from to change into. Plus you still haven't met Adam or Duncan yet, I think you'll like them."  
  
"So, how old are they?" Willow asks, her curiosity getting the better of her.  
  
"Well, Richie's the youngest, he really is 26. Adam is, well, that's kind of a major secret, let's just say really old. And Duncan is The Highlander, and my teacher. He is over 400-years-old. He's the one who found me in Paris and taught me about our existence. Anyway, I'll drive you guys to school too, and you can eat breakfast with me, if you want . . . wait, it's still dark at five now, Adam will pick you up then." Cordelia rambles, creating the plans as she goes.   
  
Willow and Xander were surprised at her generosity, but only Willow knew that it was just that they were finally getting a look at the true Cordelia. The Cordy whom it seems only very few ever saw, the few select people were allowed to see it cherished her. Willow was beginning to realize Cordelia Chase was a very complex person, who only let you see all her layers once you passed her test, and she truly trusted you. And she knew that this was a big honor.  
  
  
  
b** The next day, five am**  
** Xander's house **/b  
  
  
Xander waits at the window, actually, he's practically asleep, drooling, his face pressed up against the window, waiting for Adam.  
  
Xander total wished he was still asleep in bed right now, but if it meant being able to fight and help Buffy more, he was willing to give up a few hours of precious, wonderful, peaceful, heavenly sleep, in a soft, warm, safe, comfy bed.   
  
The sound of a car pulling into the driveway jolted him away. He looked out and saw a huge Hum-vee. Richie stuck his head out the passenger window and waved to Xander, signaling that it was in fact them.   
  
Xander yawned, slung his huge duffel bag over his shoulder, grabbed a stake and a vial of holy water, and then was out the door.   
  
  
  
b** 20 minutes later **/b  
  
  
Cordelia, looking quite sleepy, finally stumbled down the stairs in her typical training gear, tear away pants, waist rolled down to her hips, and her black Nike sports bra.  
  
She mumbled her hellos to the two guests in the entryway.  
  
"Morning Cordelia." Willow greets cheerfully.   
  
Cordelia just gives her the evil eye.   
  
"Not a morning person, huh?" Xander hisses to Richie.   
  
"Not even close." Duncan answers for him.   
  
Xander looks at the dark haired man, "Oh, hello."  
  
"I'm Duncan MacLeod, you must be Xander. Cordelia explained what happened, and we all want to thank you for keeping this quiet."  
  
"Yeah." Richie agreed, "And if keeping your mouth shut takes hours of intense grueling workouts, then so be it." he joked.   
  
"Oh lay off them Richie, they are just trying to be a bigger help to Buffy." Cordelia orders, sipping her tea which Adam had handed her.   
  
"Yes Cordy." He replies meekly.   
  
Then the newly formed group of training 'buddies' got down to work.  
  
  
b** Two weeks later **  
** Six am **/b  
  
  
"No!" Duncan calls out, "Wrong again, your still jumping too late Xander." Duncan sighs, "Alright, Xander, why don't you go over to the other practice dummy with Richie, he'll help you."  
  
Xander nods, then jogs to the other side of the room.   
  
  
Duncan MacLeod then went to another part of the very large room, which they'd converted into a gym, where Cordelia and Willow were perfecting the momentum and accuracy of their stake and knife throwing.   
  
Adam and Duncan stood back and watched as the deadly projectiles hit their mark on the 'bulls eye' 15 out of 16 times. Both were glad they weren't vampires, because with a flick of either girl's wrist, they would be dust.   
Xander wasn't quite as good at it, only nine times out of ten, but he had other abilities. He was a weapons expert, due to too many nights alone, and he could assemble, dissemble, arm, and fire practically any type of gun, grenade, bomb, etc. known, and some unknown, to man and demon alike. With the little group found a bit unnerving, but realized, in this town, it was smart to know all you can in defending yourself.   
  
  
Today Cordelia and Willow cut out early; saying that they had something very important to do.   
  
"Are you sure you want me to have him do this?" Cordelia asked, as her personal stylist held his scissors to Willow's long locks in the master bathroom, while Cordelia got her hair loosely permed.   
  
"Yes. I want a full makeover, including a haircut, and I'm gonna start wearing those clothes you bought me." Willow vowed.   
  
"Alright. Cut away Luca." She turned back to Willow, "This wouldn't have anything to do with that guy in school who has had his eye on you would it?"  
  
"I have no idea what you're talking about." Willow protested blushing.  
  
"Yes you do. What's his name? Oz? In a band with Devon called The Dingo's Ate My Baby . . ." Cordelia prompts knowingly.  
  
Willow blushes deeper, "He's not even looked at me."  
  
"I have it from confirmed sources that he said he thinks you look really nice, in his own way. Apparently, he doesn't talk much. But he had mentioned you a time or two."  
  
"Really?"  
  
"Uh-huh." Cordelia nods her head, then starts flipping through her new copy of Cosmo.  
  
  
b** 30 minutes later **/b  
  
  
Cordelia, with a head full of long bouncy loose ringlets, and Willow, sporting a cute much shorter dew (much like the one she had now), stood in front of Willow's guestroom closet. They decided together on a gray and green plaid wrap around skirt, and a parsley green long-sleeve button-up shirt, unbuttoned over a white spaghetti strap shirt.  
  
They went to their separate rooms to dress.  
  
  
Cordelia put on a short black wrap around skirt herself, a tight crimson low-cut t-shirt, and a black leather jacket. Plus a pair of black boots with one inch heals, which laced up tightly.  
  
She was putting on her lipstick when someone knocked on the door, "Who is it?"  
  
"Willow."  
  
"Come in! Come in, I have to see how it worked out!"  
  
Willow steps into the room slowly, wearing the a-fore mentioned outfit, and a pair of black combat boots.   
  
"You look great!" Cordelia exclaims, "You could use a little makeup though . . . come here."  
  
Willow puts herself in Cordelia's capable hands, and ten minutes later she was wearing pale green eye shadow, brown eyeliner and mascara, just a hint of pink blush, and a lipstick called Tender Heart. Willow smiled at her reflection, and she had to admit, she looked good. All the working out was starting to tone her body too, so she was very pleased with her over all appearance.   
  
The girls grabbed their backpacks, then descend the stairs. Laughing and talking like normal teenagers, though they were anything but, as they burst into the kitchen.   
  
Richie and Xander, who were sitting at the table eating, stopped mid-bite.   
  
Xander swallowed the food in his mouth, then let his jaw drop, as did Richie.   
  
"So?!" Cordelia demanded, spinning around, "How do we look?"  
  
"Wow." Xander utters.   
  
"I second that, wow." Richie got out.   
  
Cordelia and Willow took what they could get and flashed brilliant smiles at the two.   
  
Just then Adam walked in. He looked both girls up and down, then kissed both their right hands, "You two look absolutely enchanting."  
  
Willow blushed deeply, and Cordelia gave him a kiss on the cheek.   
  
  
Only Xander could hear it, but he agreed completely with the words that Richie uttered next, "Damn, bested by the old guy again."  
  
  
  
b** 45 minutes later **  
** In front of school **/b  
  
  
Willow was very nervous.   
  
Cordelia gave her a pat on the back, "Prepare to enter popular society Will. Xander, please get the door."  
  
Cordelia and Willow hold their heads high, then saunter side by side down the hallway, enjoying the admiring looks they were getting. Willow could hear the whispers, and it took everything in her to keep from blushing.   
  
  
I"Hey, who's that hot chick with Cordelia?"  
  
"Aww man, what foxes!"  
  
"Isn't that . . . oh my God it is! That's Willow Rosenburg. She looks so, so . . . in style!"  
  
"Where did she get that awesome haircut?"/I  
  
  
Willow hears comments like that all morning. She agreed to wait for Cordelia at the end of 3rd hour, so they could talk more about what everyone said.   
  
  
~*~  
  
  
b** 4th Hour **  
** Library **/b  
  
  
Xander jogs in, to find Buffy and Giles talking, but burst out talking himself anyway, "Have you guys seen Willow yet today? Or Cordelia for that matter?"  
  
"No, why?" Buffy questions, "Has something happened?"  
  
"Oh, I'll say . . ."  
  
Just then Cordelia and Willow came in, intently discussing what Cordelia had heard about Oz.  
  
"Oh my gosh! Willow?" Buffy gasps, standing up abruptly, "I love your hair! It's perfect for you! And that outfit is to die for."  
  
"Thanks Buffy, I'm not to sure though . . ." Willow trails off, ducking down her head.  
  
"Why on earth not?" Buffy asks.   
  
"Because 12 guys have hit on her already, and she'd gotten asked to the Halloween Bash by three guys . . . including OZ."  
  
Willow blushes like crazy.  
  
The girls sit down at a table, Cordelia and Buffy gossiping.  
  
"Willow, do you like Oz?"   
  
"He seems really nice." She admits.   
  
"He is. Actually, he's been planning on asking her for a week now." Cordelia lets them in on what she heard.   
  
"You said yes, right?!" Buffy asks eagerly.  
  
"She was about to say no!" Cordelia answered for Willow, "Even though I know she likes him. So I told him to pick her up at my home at 6:30, the same time my date has been instructed to pick me up. Would you like to get ready with us?" Cordelia graciously offered.   
  
"Um, ok. I get the night off . . ."  
  
"You can ride with me and Eric, they say he's like an octopus with hands, so I could use a little back up . . . now the most important part, what are we going to wear?"  
  
"Well . . ." Buffy starts, "I think Willow would make a wicked flapper."  
  
"Ooh, It's got a classic, but fun look to it!" Cordelia agrees.   
  
"Buffy could be an Indian princess or something." Willow suggested.   
  
"Sounds easy enough, what about you Cordelia? I can tell you've already got something in mind."  
  
"Well, I was thinking either Cleopatra, or Aphrodite."  
  
"A queen or a Goddess, why am I not surprised?" Xander questions rhetorically, butting in.   
  
"Shut up Xander." All three girls snarled.   
  
  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~   
  
  
  
  



	7. Halloween = Spiked Punch FUN!!!

  
bThis I Promise You /b  
IBy Jules/i  
  
  
IbChapter 7/I/b  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
b** Halloween **/b  
  
  
"Willow, Cordelia, Buffy, your dates are here!" Duncan called up the stairs.  
He turned to the two boys, dressed as Romeo and a T-Bird (from Grease), waiting in the living room, "I'm sure it'll be just a moment."  
  
  
b** Ten minutes later **/b  
  
"GIRLS!" Duncan called, getting impatient, and very uncomfortable.  
  
  
"We're coming! We're coming!" Buffy yells back, "We're just putting on a finishing touches!"  
  
The finishing touches was a bag in which Buffy was putting stakes and crosses, which already secretly contained Cordelia's katana, and some knives that Willow had hidden in the bottom, just incase.  
  
The girls then made their entrance downstairs.   
  
  
Willow had ended up as the Indian Princess, Buffy had decided to go as Robin Hood, so she didn't look weird holding the bag, which was disguised as a quiver. Cordelia had chosen Aphrodite, so she looked a vision in the filmy pink material. [IYou know the outfit I'm talking about if you've ever watched Hercules or Xena/I]  
  
  
"I really think we were worth the wait, don't you?" Cordelia questions Buffy after there were no complements.   
  
"Most definitely . . . I feel so . . . ignored!" Buffy agreed.   
  
Oz, the quiet guy with the Technicolor hair who was dressed as a T-Bird stood in front of Willow and quietly told her, "You look great."  
  
Willow blushed deeply, "You look nice too. I really like your costume."  
  
Eric took Cordelia's hand, bowed and kissed it, "I have never seen true beauty until this night."  
  
Cordelia smiled at him, "Why thank you, you make a wonderful Romeo. It was soooooo sweet of you to wear tights too."  
  
"There is nothing I wouldn't do, to please you my enchantress." Eric tells her, bowing before her again.   
  
Buffy rolls her eyes, then speaks, "Shouldn't we get going? We don't want to be too late."  
  
"Yeah, let's party!" Cordelia agrees, "See ya tomorrow Mac, don't wait up!"  
  
  
  
b** Much later that night **/b  
  
  
It was around 12:30 a.m. when two of the girls traipsed in, giggling. Buffy and Angel each were supporting one.   
  
Cordelia stumbled, then leaned against the wall, "Shhhhhhh, you have to be veeewwy quiet, Mac is slllleeeeeeeeeping." She hissed, then slid down to the floor giggling, because the 'buzz' she was getting because of the other immortal's proximity made her feel even funnier.   
  
Buffy and Angel looked at each other. Buffy shook her head, then sighed, "I'll take Willow, you . . . pick up Cordy."  
  
"Right, now what happened again?" Angel questioned.   
  
"The punch was spiked. I noticed right away, but by the time I found Cordelia, Willow and their dates, they were all plastered, giggling over Harmony who was passed out under the bleachers. I had Xander drive the guys home, and called you for help, because we ran out of vehicles, and I don't want to even think about how hard it would have been to get these two home alone."  
  
Angel picked Cordelia up.   
  
"Wheee!!!!" Cordelia squealed, then giggled, she turned to Buffy and told her in a serious voice, "Just so you know, Willow can sleep in the room three doors down from mine . . . with her clothes!"  
  
"Shhh Cordy!" Willow hissed, "Your intoc-intox-inc . . . your loopy . . . and you like talk more when you're full of punch!"  
  
"Ok!" She wraps her arms around Angel's neck, "To my room James!" she ordered, then Cordelia burst out laughing again, and laid her head against Angel's shoulder, "To my room."  
  
  
Angel shifted uncomfortably, the close contact making him very uptight, he ignored the feeling in his heart, and carried Cordelia upstairs. She was too drunk to notice that Angel strangely knew where her bedroom was.  
  
He set her down on her bed sitting up.  
  
Cordelia cocked her head and looked at him, "Angel, is this your favorite holiday?"  
  
"No, actually, vampires and others things have parties to make fun of the day, because everyone's more guarded on Halloween, due to superstition. It's too dangerous for them to go out, so as soon as the sun goes down, they all go to secret location and party all night."  
  
Cordelia stood up and started jumping on the bed, taking off the outside part of her costume leaving her in only the pink embroidered bra and matching underwear, "I love Halloween! You get to dress up and pretend to be someone else!" She stopped jumping and suddenly frowned, and fell to her knees, "So for me, it's just like everyday of my life . . . always hiding who I am and how I feel . . . I have to hide what I am all the time, cause I'm not allowed to tell." She explains in a quiet voice.   
  
Angel had a feeling Cordelia was talking about more then just her not really being a snob, and stores it in the back of his mind.   
  
"Angel?" Cordelia asks in a small voice as he pulled back the covers of her bed.  
  
"Yeah?"  
  
"What did you feel after the first time you killed someone, after you got your soul? I mean, you knew they were evil, but still, Iyou killed them/I. . . . How did you deal with that?" Cordelia questioned and she curled up in the spot he'd uncovered for her.   
  
"I felt guilty." He honestly told her, "But at the same time, I'd known I had to do it. That if I hadn't of killed them, they would have killed lots more people, innocent people." Angel told her, tucking her in.  
  
"Does the bad feeling that it leaves in your soul go away?"  
  
Angel gets suspicious, "Eventually . . . Cordelia, did something happen?"  
  
"Just some vengeance . . ." She motioned for him to come closed, "I wasn't supposed to do something that I did. Adam had made me promise, but I had both my fingers crossed behind my back!" She giggled again, showing him crossed fingers, then letting her arm fall above her head on the pillow.   
  
Angel couldn't control himself and he tuck a few curls that were on her face behind her ear and whispered, "Good-night Cordelia." As a finality, trying to tell her it was time to go to sleep.   
  
"Night-night Angle, don't let those vampires on the balcony bite my neck please . . . and tell them it's rude to flash their fangs at a girl like that." She said, pointing to the balcony with her other hand  
  
Angel's head whipped around to her French door and saw there was in fact two vampires there, he took two stakes out and opened the door, quickly dusting them.   
  
"They're gone now Cordelia, they . . . um . . .just came to wish you a happy Halloween." He told her closing the doors and her curtains once more.   
  
"That's so sweet, we usually don't get vampires in this neighborhood . . . we usually kill them in the cemetery, right Angel?" She asks yawning, her eyes drooping.  
  
"Yes, Buffy and I find most vampires and demons in the cemetery."  
  
"Angel, will you lay down with me? I get scared in the dark alone on Halloween." Cordelia innocently asks, still very drunk.   
  
Angel silently groaned to himself . . . why did she have to do things like that.   
  
"Please." She pleaded pouting, "The sun doesn't even hit my bed ever. And it's just for tonight."  
  
Angel couldn't say no to her, no matter how much he knew he should not lay down next to her, he did anyway, for awhile. He'd just lain against the pillows when Cordelia laid her head against his chest and put her arm around his stomach. She sighed contented, then quickly fell asleep, or just passed out. Angel wrapped his arms around her upper body, and closed his eyes.   
  
  
b** Many hours later, a little while before dawn **/b  
  
Angel awoke, from the internal body clock, which alerted him of the approach of dawn was upon him and the sun would soon arise. He slipped out of the bed and wen to the French doors. He took one last look at Cordelia, who'd latched onto a pillow in his absence then slipped out the doors.   
  
Angel jumped from the balcony, then ran off to his apartment, only just making it in the door before the first rays of sunlight rose over the horizon. The moment the door was closed he started banging his head against the door, "Stupid, stupid."   
  
Then he slunk into his room and stripped down to his boxers and crawled into bed, "How could I have been so stupid? I'm not supposed to do this kind of thing. I know I could lose my soul and leaving her sleeping on me is just tempting fate! But feeling her body heat against mine, her smooth skin underneath my fingers, her arm wrapped around my waist . . . it just felt, so right. But you can't unfair to her. You don't have a permanent soul, and I know just one kiss from her would cause such immense happiness in my heart that I would definitely turn into Angelus . . . . Oh, and because of Buffy . . ." the last added as an after thought.   
  
  
~*~  
  
  
b** The next day, 8:30 am **/b  
  
  
Duncan comes into Cordelia's bedroom to find the young immortal clutching a pillow, in the underwear of her costume.   
  
"Up and at 'em Cordy." Duncan tells her.   
  
Cordelia groans, "Is it really necessary to be so loud, or be with in buzz range? Ooh, my head!"  
  
Just then Buffy comes in, looking fresh as a daisy.   
  
"What happened to you?" Duncan asks Cordelia, not seeing Buffy.  
  
Buffy answered, knowing Cordelia most likely didn't remember, "Someone spiked the punch last night. Willow, Cordelia, Oz, and Eric all drank a whole lot of it. I brought back two very wasted girls."  
  
Cordelia puts the pillow she was clutching over her face and muffledly begs, "Please, leave me to deal with this hangover, since committing suicide would be futile."   
  
Duncan rolled his eyes, then left her in peace, knowing that when she was cranky, you did not want to mess with her if you valued a life without constant pain.   
  
Buffy followed him out, a little confused about Cordelia's last comment.   
  
  
  
b** Hours later **/b  
  
  
Cordelia finally got dressed, and trudged downstairs.   
  
She found Willow in the kitchen, head down on the table. Not speaking, Cordelia filled the kettle with water and put it on the stove when she'd turned it on, then joined Willow, keeping her head up by propping her elbow on the table and placing her head on her hand.   
  
The only sound was off the clock ticking. Several minutes later the kettle whistled, signaling its readiness. Cordelia shuffled to the cupboard, got up two cups and her tea. She made two cups, then went back to the table, giving one to Willow.  
  
Willow finally lifted her head, and smiled in thanks. Cordelia just slightly nodded her head, then messaged her temples in pain. She got back up and soon returned with four extra strength Tylenol gelcaps. Both took the pills, then simultaneously let their heads fall on their left arm, which was resting on the table.   
  
`   
  
That was exactly how Duncan and Xander found them twenty minutes later.   
  
"Aww, the poor things." Xander quietly said, then he sat down between the two and rubbed their backs, "I heard you're the victims of a spiked beverage at the Bewitched Ball."  
  
"What gave it away? The comfortable clothes, the 'I feel like shit' look on our faces, or our heads that refused to be raised above this point?" Cordelia asks glowering.  
  
"Would you like me to kill you so it will go away?" Xander asks teasing her.  
  
"Would you, please?" Cordelia pleads hopeful.   
  
"No, he won't." Duncan ordered, "How much punch did you have?"  
  
"Don't know, but we liked it, a lot. Everyone at the dance did. After five glasses, things get fuzzy. I'm thinking it was some Jack Daniels that was added, from the taste." Cordelia told them.   
  
"And how would you know young lady?" Duncan asks his young ward.  
  
"Oh come on Mac, get with the times. High school parties are full of alcohol . . . my father's office contains every expensive alcoholic beverage known to man. If you don't think I've gotten plastered before . . . you are very naive."  
  
Duncan raises his eyebrow then changes the subject, "You know, you and I have some research to do, remember? The stuff about the anchoring?"  
  
Cordelia raises her head, "Oh my God, you're right. It completely slipped my mind." She gets up, thanking God the Tylenol was kicking in, "See ya later guys, you can watch some movies if you want on the DVD player. The movies are those disks on the shelf, they're all labeled. Duncan, I'm going to change, where do you want to meet?"  
  
"The library." He tells her.   
  
"Be down in like, 20 minutes."  
  
  
Cordelia runs upstairs and takes a shower to clear her head, wishing she could remember the night before. She brushes out her hair, puts in some gel. Then quickly dresses in a pair of tight black leather pants and a crimson red shirt, and ties a black do-rag in her hair to keep her hair out of her face. She slips on a pair of black platform strappy sandals, then quickly goes down stairs.   
  
  
b** The Library **/b  
  
Cordelia walked into the two-story room to find the place transformed. It was completely updated, computers, huge screens, the walls which used to contain law texts and other boring things now held every text on demon lore, prophecies, mythology, spells, watcher journals and other things supernatural, known to man. Some books were hundreds of years old.   
  
Comfortable chairs, couches, and other things were all over the huge first floor, up the spiral stairs were more books, the weapons, and more chairs and things. Duncan had also added some high tech gadgets up there too.   
  
"Oh my gosh, this place is amazing! I'd always wondered what the heck was going on when we'd heard those noises through the ballroom doors." Cordelia gasps.   
  
Duncan turns to her, even though he'd been made aware of her arrival by the 'buzz' moments before, "Well, I thought if we were going to be doing this, I would bring all the books I always thought were legends, most of them are Adam's though."  
  
"This has to be the most complete collection of demonology and things known to man!"   
  
"Well, Mac's watcher Joe also stole some books from the Watcher headquarters." Adam called out from over the balcony in the second floor loft.  
  
"Cool! Now I do have those skills."  
  
"What skills?" Adam asks coming down.  
  
"Oh, just burglary. I can pick pockets, any lock, override security systems, crack safes . . . you know, stuff like that. How the hell do you think I used to get anything in this house, or into this house after midnight."  
  
"Great, I'm training a junior Amanda who just hasn't started stealing things yet." Duncan groans.   
  
"Who's Amanda?" Cordelia asks in a sing-songy voice.   
  
"Never mind that. Where on earth did a rich girl . . . that isn't important. Let's get to work. I think Adam has found something."  
  
"I have, I found two spells, but we can only do one of them because with the other one, we need something that doesn't exist anymore. We can do the second one, but we need an anthem, and it will take a few hours. It's the only thing we don't have that's needed."  
  
"A wizard's dagger? Easy, Jack's Magicks Shoppe, three doors down from the Bronze." Cordelia chirps.   
  
"Get a couple of them." Adam instructs, "We really should all have one. It's one of the only ways to kill wizards."  
  
"I'll get as many as possible . . ." She walks over to the desk and flips over the lank, where there is a keypad and she punches in a code. A bookcase swings back and reveals a secret vault, which Duncan and Adam had had no knowledge of.  
  
"What the hell is in that?" Adam asks.   
  
"The Chase family jewels, gold bars, and a few million dollars in cash, which the government has no knowledge of existence. Plus the usual, documents, deeds to properties, blackmail material of most of the leaders of foreign counties, politicians in this one . . . the same things every socialite family keeps in their secret safes. The truth is, the legacy of the Chase family is a long line of very successful, rarely caught thieves. I mean, once we got rich about 200 years ago, our cover was secure. Who would suspect the richest family in town? My grandfather was the last true thief in a long illustrious line. My father passed on the lessons every Chase learns as a child, but he never committed burglary himself, at least not since his 20's. No, he preferred other illegal activities. Insider trading, over charging his clients, suing people to steal their money instead of just outright taking it. I have bank accounts in the Caribbean and Switzerland that hold more money then we'll ever need." Cordelia explains taking a stack of money, "My grandfather made sure that the Chase family would never have to work again . . . . Of course he didn't expect my cousin Derrick and me would be the last ones since his wife had three boys and a girl, but Uncle John and Uncle Bo never had children and had heart attacks. Aunt Veruca blew her 22 million on eight divorces, 12 lovers, and stupid business ventures that left her broke at 47 and then she committed suicide in Beverly Hills. Anyway, Derrick is younger by one month, so he only gets 15 million, plus whatever Uncle Caleb leaves him when he dies. I got everything else, the net worth of the whole Chase estates is more then Bill Gates could dream of, but because most of it's secret, thought still legal, we're kept quiet. Just the way we like it. And now you know, so shhh!" She shoves some of the money in her purse, then gives Duncan the reset, "This should cover what it cost to do everything in here. See ya later!"  
  
  
b** Jack's Magicks Shoppe **/b  
  
  
Cordelia walked up to Jack, "I need to see all your anthems."  
  
"I'm not sure we carry that item Miss . . ." Jack, the handsome owner told her.   
  
"Please, don't give me that bullshit. I have a nasty hangover and you will show me your anthems now or I will kick your ass."   
  
Jack smiled at her condescendingly, "What are you, 15?"   
  
Cordelia grabbed his shirt lapels and slammed him into a wall, "NOW!" then she dropped him.   
  
"Alright! Alright! They're in the room behind the love potions, push the 3rd black tiles from the left."  
  
Cordelia smiled at him kindly, "Thank you!"  
  
Cordelia opened the door to the hidden room and she was in heaven. She got the necessities first, she chose 10 beautiful anthems, then went around looking. She chose a few staffs, two enchanted swords that would only work properly for the use of good, six crossbows with wood and silver arrows. A couple axes, and a couple of orbs that could come in handy some day. And she got a couple pounds of all the ingredients for spells that he had.   
  
Jack followed closely behind packaging all the items she wished for. He nearly had a heart attack at his young age when he paid him in cash, with a $1,000 tip to never tell anyone who had bought all his stuff. Plus they made an agreement to keep her notified of all shipments of weapons, rare books, and real potions, none of the shit he sold to everyone else.  
He knew that he'd just found a new regular customer who would keep him in business for the rest of his life if he treated her politely.   
  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~   
  
  



	8. Birthday Suprises and Chicken Soup for t...

  
bThis I Promise You /b  
IBy Jules/i  
  
  
IbChapter 8/I/b  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
b** The Chase mansion **/b  
  
  
Adam was helping Xander with some back flips when his cell rang. He answered it, said a few yes's, and told the person he'd be right there.  
  
"Mac, Cordy needs some help. She went a little wild at the store I'm guessing." Adam tells his fellow immortal who was helping Richie teach Willow blocking.   
  
"Where is she?"  
  
"Front door, the bags are too heavy, and her hands are full." Adam turns to their pupils, "We'll be right back."  
  
  
They return five minutes later, laden down with packages, Cordelia only holding one bag. She led them to the library door and opened them.   
  
"Everybody in." She ordered, "Including Richie."  
  
Everyone, except Duncan, Adam, and Cordelia, walk in, shocked at the sight.   
  
"Welcome to our slaying central." Cordelia states, "Follow me."  
  
As they walked up the spiral staircase Willow found her voice, "This place is amazing."  
  
Cordelia smiled and nodded, then led them to the tables in front of the weapons, and had Duncan and Adam set their bags down there.   
  
"First off," Cordelia started, "Is what I was sent to by, anthems." She pulled out 10 beautifully carved, and some jewel encrusted daggers, the handles made of gold, silver, and bronze, "Everyone is to wear one in there boot at all times, as a safety precaution." She handed one out to everyone. Willow's was gold with a large emerald on both sides of the bottom of the handle. Xander's was bronze, with animals carved into the handle. Duncan was given a gold one also, his had Scottish symbols all over it. Adam's was of the same metal with an intricate pattern on the blade and handle. Richie's was bronze, and had sapphires and rubies on the handle. Cordelia's was beautiful, a silver anthem, with an ivy design along the handle and blade, and Peridots in the shape of a star at the end of the handle. Of the other four, one was silver, and had Celtic designs engraved in the handle, with sapphires and peridots on it too. Another was light gold with diamonds on the hilt. The third was bronze with a plainish design, and the last was gold too, with an odd design and emeralds on it.   
  
"Wow, these are beautiful Cordelia!" Willow gasps.   
  
Duncan examines them, "This must have cost hundreds each, they're all made out of the purest elements."  
  
"Wizard anthems usually are." Adam told Duncan.   
  
Cordelia gave everyone a hilt so they could put the daggers in their boots.   
  
"So, what else have you bought?" Richie asks, pulling his pant leg down.   
  
She pulled out the swords first, "These swords, are enchanted, so they can only be used by those in the pursuit of good, not evil." She placed them on hooks on the wall. Then she pulled out the staffs, "These are for basics, and the carved ones are for use against mythological creature. I'll explain when we actually need to use them."   
Next she pulled out the crossbows and arrows, "Keep these in your bags or something. Bring them whenever you go out after dark. The silver ones you'll only need on the nights of the full moon. " She instructed, handing them out, giving everyone a load of arrows to everyone, half wood, half silver.   
  
"Although you did stray from the list, you did a great job Cordelia." Duncan commended her, "We're definitely ready for anything now."  
  
"I also got Willow every kind of ingredient for a spell she could possibly ever need. We'll just keep these in the alcove." Cordelia told her, putting the bags in a little room off to the right, still on the second floor, "But for now, it's after four, and I have a feeling your parents will be worrying about you."  
  
Xander's eyes get wide, "You're right, we've got to get going." He signals his eyes to Willow and Richie, "Richie, you promised you'd drive us in Adam's car, remember?"  
  
Richie nods his head, "Oh right . . . Cordelia, you said we'd go see a movie around six right?"  
  
Cordelia smiles and nods, "I'll meet you there."  
  
  
b** Many hours later **/b  
  
  
Cordelia and Richie laughed as they walked back through the front door of the mansion. Cordelia nearly had a heart attack when practically the whole school jumped out calling, "SURPRISE!"  
  
"Oh my God! I completely forgot it was my birthday tomorrow!" She exclaimed.  
  
Harmony came up and gave her a hug, "Oh you silly thing! How could you possibly forget your own birthday?"  
  
Cordelia smiled at her fakely, "Well, I've had a lot on my mind lately."  
  
Harmony and the Cordetts smiled at her sympathetically, and gave her their 'apologies' for not being more caring.   
  
Cordelia got lost in a crowd of well wishers as the live band, The Dingo Ate My Baby, played in the background.   
  
It wasn't until an hour later she finally got to Willow, Xander, and Richie. She gave each of them a hug and thanked them.  
  
"Guys, you have no idea how much this means to me, especially since you invited my friends, even though you hate them, as much as they hate you. And the fact that you remember my birthday . . . it's really sweet."  
  
Willow blushed, "Oh, it's just something any real friend would do."  
  
Xander nods his head in agreement, "Yeah, besides, I'd never miss an opportunity for free food!"  
  
  
b** Around one am **/b  
  
  
Cake had been eaten, presents open, and everyone, but Richie and Adam, had gone home.  
  
Now the four immortals were in the middle of the long clean up. They were going room to room cleaning up. They all finally ended up in the library.   
  
Adam was picking up the packages from Cordelia's shopping venture earlier that day, when he noticed one of the bags was heavier then the rest.   
  
"Cordelia, I believe there's something still in here!" He told her, placing the bag in front of her.   
  
Cordelia reached into the bag and pulled out the orbs, "Oh yeah! The orbs, these things will come in handy. The blue one will light up if someone's not telling the truth. And the red one will light up if someone's plotting against you. The last one . . . well it was pretty!" She whined.   
  
Adam picked it up and examined it, "Cordelia, you really have no idea what this is for?" He asks.   
  
"No, why?" Cordelia asks.   
  
"This orb . . . it contains the power to anchor Angel's soul. It's the first spell I was telling you about. But this isn't supposed to exist anymore. Supposedly it was destroyed 400 years ago."  
  
Cordelia's eyes grow wide, "This will make Angel's soul permanent? I swear, if you're just jerking me around, I will cut off your head, no matter how good a friend you are."  
  
"I swear, it's right here." Adam pulls out a book and places it in front of her.   
  
Cordelia quickly skims over the text and murmurs, "You're not kidding, I can make it permanent, I can give him the one thing he needs to be happy." She looks up and around the table, "You guys can go to bed, I'm going to stay up and read into this further."  
  
  
Duncan knows what she will be doing that night, but he can't stop her, he doesn't have the heart to. He knows she's in love with the vampire, and that she knows that the vampire didn't love her back. It was her way to feel better, by making him happy. He rubs her back, then goes down the spiral stairs, and to bed.   
  
  
  
Adam and Richie follow his lead, and leave, both taking one look back at the girl who was intently reading the passage. Then they drove home to their own mansion, where they wouldn't sleep all night, fore they would be too busy worrying about their friend, who they knew was going to do something completely un-selfless that night.   
  
  
Cordelia read the passage, and realized Adam hadn't translated it completely, he'd just seen they'd need the orb and stopped reading. But she read the whole thing, and knew what she'd have to do. She set up seven candles, in a horseshoe around the orb, and a bowl for the ingredients she'd need. Red, white, yellow, and pink rose petals, the nectar of a lily of the valley. She lit the candles and started chanting the ancient incantation..   
  
Then candles flames rose higher and higher as she chanted, and the orb began to glow and rise in the air as she added the final ingredient to the bowl, the life's blood of a person who was in love with the person who's soul was being anchored. She slit her hand with the anthem she'd bought that day, but couldn't watch her blood pour into the bowl, her eyes were focused on the orb. Which had risen high in the air. A supernatural wind was whipping around the whole room, yet the candles stay lit. The blood loss was too much, and finally she passed out on the table, her wrists still on top of the bowl, draining her of her essence as she died once more.   
  
  
The windows flew open, and the wind blew out of the room, taking the essence with it. It blew un-naturally throughout town, following a set path it was given, till finally it slipped in through a window of Angel's apartment.   
  
  
Angel was asleep in his bed, dreaming, and didn't see the strong wind whip through his apartment then cause his body to lift off his bed as it enveloped him. But a spirit entered his dream . . .  
  
  
bI** Angel's dream **/b  
  
Angel was in a room, fully clothed, shirt unbuttoned. He whipped head around calling out, "Where am I? What's going on?"  
  
A little girl's voice answered, "You are here, and you have been given a tremendous gift."  
  
"What do you mean?"  
  
"Your soul, it is anchored, the curses clause is void." A little girl came out of the light and told him, "Someone who truly loves you gave up her life for you, but do not be afraid, fore she has many lives, a young immortal is she, and will awaken again. But their sacrifice means just as much, for she think that you will never return that love, and she just wanted you to be happy with the one she thought you are destined to be with. She does not see that in truth, your destinies are enter-twined throughout eternity, and always have been. For you have been soul mates since time began. But none the less, they think they have given up something very precious for you, and for that, the anchoring was completed."  
  
"Cordelia." Angel whispered realizing that was her secret, she was immortal, everything was making sense.  
  
The girl nodded, "Yes, she loves you very much, and you love her as well, if you'd only tell her soon enough, so much heart ache could be spared . . . but alas, you will awaken with only the certain knowledge that your soul is permanent. Everything else will be forgotten, all that had been revealed will be a mystery once more, and your fate will continue as if you had never found out."  
  
"But why?"  
  
"Because, Fate is a temperamental thing, and messing with her plan always makes her very angry, and upsets her scenes she writes long in advance. We mustn't disturb her plan, but do not fear, everything will turn out . . . unless she changes her mind . . ." then the girl disappeared.  
  
b** End of Angel's dream **/b/I  
  
  
Angel woke up with a start, the rest of his dream was too foggy to remember, but he did know one thing, his soul was no longer in danger of being lost. It was permanent!  
  
  
~*~  
  
Cordelia woke again with a start, and looked quickly at her wrists, there was no trace of what she'd done the night before, except for the mess before her. She blew out the candles, which were practically all gone, and put them away, she carefully put the bowl in a special place, but the orb she took with her after she cleaned up.   
  
  
Next to her bed, there was a silver holder for a candleholder. She took out the candleholder, and placed the orb in it. It looked like just another trinket in her bedroom. She knew no one would ever think to look there. Cordelia changed into her negligée, then climbed into bed, to dream of Angel, just as she did every night, and would do every night of her immortal life . . .  
  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~   
  



	9. The Death of Cordelia Chase . . . AGAIN

  
bThis I Promise You /b  
IBy Jules/i  
  
  
IbChapter 9/I/b  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
  
b** The next day ** /b  
  
  
Duncan, Adam, and Richie all agreed to let Cordelia sleep in again this morning, under the guise to Willow and Xander that it was just because it was her birthday.  
  
The three immortals weren't in the mood for a work out, so after Ti-chi, they all decided to just go into the library and do their own thing.   
  
Duncan sat at the big desk, haggling with someone over the purchase of a building on Main Street in which to sell antiques.   
  
Adam was on his cell phone, yelling at someone in Japanese (which was one of the thousands of languages he spoke.)  
  
Richie and Xander were messing with the new computer system, which made fake scenarios. It was a lot like a computer game, and right then two were arguing whether they should or shouldn't use Uzi's against a hairy creature that was stalking the 'towns people'. Richie, who'd been trained by Duncan, preferred using swords and more traditional methods. Xander, the groups weapons expert knew that it was best to really make sure they were dead, in other words, kill them a lot. Xander gave up arguing, and just hit the button to do what Ihe/I wanted in the program. Two minutes later the monster was destroyed, and Richie was glaring at a very happy Xander.   
  
Willow was working on her alchemy, practicing a spell on levitation.   
  
She pointed at a staff, and in a firm voice said, "Levit."   
  
The staff floated in the air.  
  
"Meus motus." She ordered, (Imy movement/I) then moving as if she had the staff in her hands, she fought with it.   
  
The staff moving with some un-seeable force, mimicking her.  
  
"Cum meus imperare." (IWith my command/I)  
  
Then Willow shot the staff around the room with just a flick of her finger. Everyone ducked just in the nick of time . . . except for poor Richie, who had his head turned and hadn't believed Xander when he yelled, "DUCK!"  
  
Everyone stood there with their mouths hanging open.   
  
Duncan gapped for a second, then quietly told the guy on the other end, "It's a deal . . . my lawyer will call you in the morning." Then he hung up.   
  
Adam had to keep himself from laughing, and quickly said, "Sionara!" then hung up.   
  
Xander looked down at his fallen mate and couldn't believe it.   
  
Willow on the other hand shrieked, then let her concentration drop, as did the staff, and everyone was positive it was safe to move now, and ran to his side.  
  
"Oh Richie! My God . . . I am so sorry!" She leans over him and looked at everyone else, "I wasn't paying attention! I was just so excited that it worked . . ."  
  
"Don't worry." Adam reassures her, "Richie's got a really hard head." He kneels over the youth and slaps him on both cheeks, "Richie, Richie. Ryan, wake up you dolt!"  
  
Richie's eyes fluttered and he looks up eyes unfocused looking at Adam, "Mommy?"   
  
"Not even close." Duncan tells him, then holds up two fingers in front of his face, "How many finger am I showing?"  
  
"Uh . . . six?" he guessed.   
  
"Mac, he wouldn't know that in the first place." Adam cracks.   
  
"Fuck you Adam." Richie says.   
  
"I knew you'd be ok!" Adam declares, reaching down, grabbing Richie's hand and pulling him up.   
  
Richie's unsteady on his feet.   
  
"Willow, take Richie to the kitchen and get him an ice pack. He'll be fine soon due to our bodies advanced healing capabilities, but he'll be a little dazed for awhile." Duncan told her.   
  
"Willow nodded, then helped Richie walk out of the library, apologizing the whole way.   
  
  
Duncan, Adam, and Xander stood there for a moment until Xander pointed out the good side.   
  
"Well, at least Willow's getting a handle on her magic!"  
  
Adam nodded, then seriously advised, "Maybe we should turn the other room on the left side of the loft into a first aid center. I'm getting the feeling we're going to need one."  
  
"Good idea. Especially since Willow and Xander here don't have our healing capabilities." Duncan agrees.   
  
"Hey!" Xander protests, "It's not like you don't need to get taped up for a day of two sometimes when you get serious injuries, like broken ribs, deep cuts and things."  
  
"You're right, you're right. We should have done it when we remodeled, but it just slipped out minds."  
  
Xander shrugged, then went back to the computer. Duncan and Adam realized they had a chance to have a hushed conversation.   
  
"Do you think she did the spell last night?" Duncan asks.   
  
"Yeah, I cam over early this morning. The window had been blown open, and papers were scattered all over the room." Adam tells him.  
  
Duncan raises his eye browns, "What exactly did the spell require?"   
  
"I'm not sure." Adam admitted, "I only read up to the part where we needed the orb, hen I stopped because I thought it was impossible . . ."  
  
"I just hope it wasn't too difficult . . ."  
  
  
~*~  
  
  
b** Angel's apartment **/b  
  
  
Angel had thrown on a pair of pants and black shirt, but hadn't bothered to button it.  
  
He could feel the difference, the way Angelus was under near complete control. No longer did the demon whisper in his ear constantly, telling him to kill the innocent, and drain the life from someone one he came in contact with. And the fear that had encompassed him since he found out he could lose his soul had finally lifted.   
  
Angel drank down a pint of heated human blood, and felt the borrowed blood race through his veins. The blood had been very fresh, and the essence of life was still in the blood. He knew his demon visage was showing, but for the first time in nearly 100 years, it didn't bother him. The demon's hold on his soul had nearly completely been relinquished, he had control . . . and it felt great.   
  
The only think weight on his soul now was, what did he do? Was it Cordelia he wanted, or Buffy . . .  
  
  
~*~  
  
  
b** One week later ** /b  
  
Buffy was patrolling a remote part of the cemetery when she over heard some voices . . .  
  
I" Where are we supposed to meet Eric?"  
  
"For the thousandth time, the park, near the cliffs. God, what are you, 196? Act your age, for pity sake, I've never met such a stupid 384 year old."  
  
"Shove it Andy . . . why are we meeting so late?"  
  
"He's got another date with the head cheerleader, you know, his bCordelia/b. I wonder what she would say if she saw his real body . . ."  
  
"I don't care. Because of his dating, we haven't been able to kill nearly enough for the sacrifice tomorrow!"  
  
"I know . . .but as the oldest, he's in charge."/I  
  
  
Buffy couldn't believe her ears, she got a quick look at the demons, then ran in the other direction, straight to the library.   
  
  
b** 1 hour later **  
** By the cliff **/b  
  
"Eric's really a WHAT?!" Cordelia demanded, having just come back from a date with him in which she'd let him feel her up.   
  
"A Kroglin demon. Extremely strong, with LOTS of tentacles." Buffy tells them, remember the description Giles had just given her earlier before, "I have to stab it in the black part of his abdomen, or get it in the heart, which is oddly on his far right side. He's skins' really thick, and a stake just ain't gonna cut it. What do we have? There are three of them, we're gonna need a lot."  
  
Willow pulls a hidden bag from Oz's van that the trio had hidden there earlier that night. She opens it and gives Cordelia her knife sash, and puts hers on as well. Then she gave Buffy the extra sash they had brought. Willow then handed Xander his special glocks, which he expertly checked. She pulled out Xander's shoulder holsters, and his special vest, which was filled with other ammo. .  
Willow pulled out two more glocks, she looks at them closely, then hands one to Cordelia. They both shove them in the back of their pants. Finally Willow hands Cordelia her sheathed Dragons-Head Katana.   
Giles, Buffy, and Oz are shocked at the actions of the three, and to the extent that they are armed.   
Cordelia, Xander, and Willow knew that this was going to be a major shock for the others, but it was no time to hide what they knew how to do.   
  
"Where the hell did you guys gets those, and what do you plan on doing with them?!" Buffy demanded.   
  
"Well, it all depends on the weapon. Everything came from Cordy's, but each one has it's own special cupboard." Xander explains, handing out crossbows to everyone.  
  
"What do you plan on doing with them?"  
  
"Again, it all depends on the weapon Giles, you know that. Crossbows and guns shoot, the knives and stakes are thrown really accurately by those two" he jerked his head at Willow and Cordelia, "and pretty accurately by me. The katana will be swung around or whatever expertly by Cordy, and the rest of my things involve pulling a pin, throwing, then diving for cover." Xander explains as they approach 'Eric' and his 'buddies', who had been joined by ten vampires.   
  
Xander kneels on the ground and pulls out eight stakes, and hands four to both of his training friends. Before even Buffy can react, the two had stuffed two stakes in their belts, and throw the other two, in synchronization, dusting two vamps each, then they all attacked.   
  
Buffy got to work on one of the demons, while everyone else dusted the rest of the vamps quickly. Then everyone started in on the big uglies.   
  
  
  
Everyone was fighting with all they had . . . although truthfully they were all completely worn out, and the only thing that was keeping them going was adrenaline.   
  
  
Cordelia launched herself at the last demon, stabbing it in the heart. With it's last moments of strength, it picked her up and tossed her over the edge of the cliff.   
  
"Nooooooooooo!!!!!!!!" Buffy's scream pierced the night, which had gone completely silent.   
  
"CORDELIA!" Giles yelled, running to the edge and looking down.  
  
Xander, Willow, and Oz just stand there, starring as the wind whipped around their frozen bodies, all in shock.   
  
Everyone then was silent, until Xander and Willow snapped out of it and silently went around checking everyone for injuries, as Duncan had taught them. The worst was a gash on Xander's forehead, which Willow took care of.  
  
"We're going to have to call Duncan or Adam." Willow told Xander in a hushed voice, "Buffy's gonna be so mad at us too."  
  
"We were just keeping a secret, it's what Cordelia wanted, it's what she begged us to do. And if Cordelia Chase begs for something, you know it's got to be important. Queen C would never beg, unless it was life or death."  
  
"But everyone's so sad . . ." Willow finished with the tape.   
  
"Just think of how happy they'll be when they find out she's alive." Xander tries to comfort her.   
  
Oz comes up to them and they stop talking about it.  
  
"Are you alright?" Oz asks Willow, cutely concerned.   
  
"Oh I'm alright." Xander answers, "A bit of a headache . . ."  
  
Oz gives him a look and Xander shuts up. He turns his attention back to Willow, "Are you?"  
  
"Me? Oh I'm fine, the picture of health. Fit as a fiddle. Thanks for your help."  
  
"Well, I didn't want you to get hurt."  
  
Willow blushes.   
  
Oz looks at her regretfully, "Listen, about your friend . . ."  
  
"Thanks." Xander interrupts him quickly, "I know someone caring wi-would mean a lot to Cordelia." Xander turns to Willow, "I'll go call the guys. Tell Buffy to have everyone meet at the library by 1:30." Then he runs off.   
  
Willow looks around for Buffy, but she's already gone.   
  
  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~   
  
  



	10. Truths and Joinings

  
  
bThis I Promise You /b  
IBy Jules/i  
  
  
bChapter 10/b  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
  
b** Bottom of the chasm **/b  
  
Cordelia awoke suddenly, breathing in the much-needed oxygen.  
  
"God, I hate it when I die . . . damn it! This was definitely the worst."  
  
She looked at the cliff, and finally found what she was looking for, the rope. Xander had sent down for her, with her survival pack tied to it. Cordelia pulled out her climbing gloves, finally all that rope climbing in the gym was going to come in handy. She secured the backpack on, using all the clips to make sure it would stay in place, then she started up.   
  
  
b** 15 minutes later **/b  
  
Cordelia's muscles ached as she pulled herself over the edge. Finally, she was at the top. She lay on her stomach for a moment, breathing heavily, but knew she had to press on. Cordelia stood up and looked herself over, very upset. She'd just died, again, she nails were ruined, she was dirty, and she didn't even want to think about her hair.   
  
Before she went back, she'd have to clean up, there was a hot spring (convenient, huh?) near by, surrounded by trees (hmm, yet another strange convenience) so she washed off, taking a quick dip. Cordelia pulled her towel out of the pack and quickly dried off, then wrapped up her wet hair. The pack had been created for just this type of situation, so also inside was a pair of black clam diggers, a tight light blue v-neck t-shirt, plus a small bag of hair stuff and make-up. Cordelia brushed out her long dark hair, before the curls set in, and tied it back with her dew rag. A light application of makeup, and she packed up. She shoved her feet into her shoes, then was on her long way.   
  
  
~*~  
  
  
Angel was on his own patrol in the cemetery when he heard someone crying.   
  
Near by, he found the Slayer sitting on an above ground memorial tomb, holding her knees to her chest, sobbing.   
  
"Buffy."  
  
She looked up, tears running down her face, "Oh Angel."  
  
"What happened?" He asked concerned.   
  
"She was killed, a few hours ago . . . it wasn't even Cordelia's fight, and now she's dead.   
  
"What do you mean she's dead?" Angel demands, if he had a heart that beat, it would have stopped.   
  
"I hadn't expected her to fight . . . Willow, Xander, and Cordelia had been training though. They could throw knives and stakes with deadly accuracy, they knew martial arts, how to fire guns . . . Xander was a regular firearms expert. Cordelia fought with a sword, very agilely. All in perfect movement, so in unity with each other. They'd obviously been training for a long time. We'd destroyed all the demons, and vampires, except for one. Cordelia took a dagger and launched herself at it. Stabbing it fatally." Tears stream down Buffy's face.  
  
Angel was enraptured, how did no one know what the three had been doing? Where did they learn to fight . . . but mostly, he had to know, how, "Then what happened?"  
  
Buffy takes a couple of deep breaths, wiping away her tears, "Before it died, it picked her up, like she was just some little insignificant thing, and tossed her over the cliff . . . she never even screamed . . . ."  
  
Angel was in shock, she was gone. Cordelia was dead. She died so young, with so much pain and sorrow in her heart.   
  
A beeping interrupted his thoughts.   
  
BEEP-BEEP! BEEP-BEEP!  
  
"It's me." Buffy pulled out her pager, "611, emergency meeting in the library, you coming?"  
  
Angel shakes his head, "No, I need to take a walk."  
  
Buffy hopped down off the tomb, "Angel, if you ever need a friend, you know where my window is."  
  
Angel nods his head, then disappears into the shadows.   
  
Buffy knew he'd never take her up on the offer, because he was cryptic-brood-boy, having someone to talk to would mean letting someone too close. She takes one last look in the direction he went in pain, seeing for the first time how much the souled-vampire loved Cordelia. She'd been so stupid. Buffy was only 17, and she'd already made the dumbest mistake in her life. She'd been an idiot, and left him, because he was a vampire, and she was the slayer. It was obvious to her now, Angel loved Cordelia Chase, with all his heart. She stared for a few more seconds, then walked the opposite way, her heart heavy in grief, to the high school.   
  
  
Angel's soul grieved in despair. The girl who he loved, and loved him was gone forever, what did he need a permanent soul for if he would never be completely happy.   
He couldn't be when Cordelia died, never knowing he loved her too. She'd unselfishly anchored his soul, never telling him that it was she who had done it. Angel realized something that most of the Scooby Gang didn't, the real heroes of the group were the Slayerettes, not the Slayer herself, or himself. They put their necks on the line everyday, voluntarily, not because they were given special powers to do so, like Buffy had been, and now Cordelia had died for the price of Good.   
  
He had his soul, but now he felt like part of it was missing, leaving him feeling empty. What once contained hope, and worshiped the ground Cordelia had walked on, now was filled with pain. He'd never told her he cared, she'd never known he felt the same way, or that he knew how she felt . . . why hadn't he told her?  
  
  
~*~  
  
  
Cordelia was at the beginning of the cemetery when it hit her. Everyone thought she was dead! Buffy would probably be blaming herself, Giles would feel all guilty, and Xander and Willow would have called MacLeod or Adam by now.   
  
This was going to be a long night.   
  
  
~*~  
  
  
The three immortals walked into the library, finding two people, Buffy and Giles, beside themselves with grief.   
  
"Duncan, Adam, and Richie are here." Willow announces.   
  
Buffy looks up with puffy red eyes, "I'm so sorry you guys. She's dead, because of me."  
  
"No she's not, on both facts. Cordelia's not dead, and even if she was, it wouldn't be your fault." Adam informs them.   
  
Giles takes off his glasses in attempt to clean them, "Mr. Pierson, I am truly sorry, but the fall she took . . . the fall was so great, that no human have possibly survived it."  
  
"We understand that Mr. Giles, but Cordelia isn't like the rest of you, just like Duncan, Richie, and I are unlike you as well. You see, even if she did 'die', it's not like it would be her first time."  
  
"Or her last." Duncan added, "Please, everyone sit down, it's a long story about what we are."  
  
"Trust me," Richie laid his hand on Giles's shoulders, "you're going to want to be sitting down."  
  
Duncan took a deep breath, "Ok, now, first off, much like your vampire friend, we all are much older then we look, well, at least Adam and I are for now. The fact is, Adam, Richie, Cordelia, and myself are part of a race of immortals, secret to mortals such as yourself, and immortals such as your werewolf friend."  
  
"Mr. MacLeod, this is ridiculous . . ." Giles starts, standing.   
  
"Sit down please Giles." Willow requests.   
  
Giles is surprised, but does as he's asked.   
  
"Allow me to formally introduce myself . . ." Duncan bows, "I am Duncan MacLeod, of the clan MacLeod, also known as The Highlander. I was born on the highlands of Scotland over 400 years ago. I am no alone in my existence. There are others like me, some good, some evil. For centuries I've battled the forces of darkness, sometimes with fellow immortals by my side, sometimes against them. We can not 'die' die unless you behead us, taking our life. If another immortal does it, he or she also takes our power."  
  
"That would be a quickening." Willow puts in.  
  
"It's all part of "The Game", in the end, there can be only one. Some of us aren't interested in it, so we only fight if the person is evil, or they've challenged us, and refuse to back down. We can't fight other immortals on holy ground, something really bad happens otherwise. But, that is beside the point. The point is, Cordelia is alive, and she should have 'woken' up by now. Which means, she'll be making her way back here, hopefully."  
  
"I secured the climbing rope, tied on the survival pack, and lowered it down to her, so she's got a way out. Then I called you as soon as I was done. Willow got Cordy's katana." Xander assured him.   
  
"Good, you did the right thing." Duncan verifies.  
  
"Cordelia's been drilling what Willow and I needed to do if anything happened to her since we found out in October." Xander admits.  
  
"You knew?" Buffy's eyes widen in betrayal.   
  
Willow ashamedly poke up, "We both did, since October when we saw Cordelia behead Jonathan Damians."  
  
"That's when they blackmailed us into training them!" Richie exclaimed, resulting in a punch from Adam.   
  
  
~*~  
  
  
Angel took an unneeded deep breath, why had he been so stupid? He'd hesitated, now she was gone . . .  
  
He stopped in his tracks, there was someone else on the path. Though the person was far away, he could tell they were female. As unknown person grew closer, Angel felt a tug at his heart . . .  
  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
IOoh, ooh   
When the visions around you   
Bring tears to your eyes   
And all that surrounds you   
Are secrets and lies   
  
I'll be your strength   
I'll give you hope   
Keeping your faith when it's gone   
The one you should call   
When standing here all alone /I  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
  
Cordelia felt something in her heart making it skip a beat. A dark figure was on the path ahead of her, Angel.  
  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
IAnd I will take you in my arms   
And hold you right where you belong   
Until the day my life is through   
This I promise you   
This I promise you   
  
I've loved you forever   
In lifetimes before   
And I promise you never   
Will you hurt anymore /I  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
  
Angel knew those legs, those curves, he'd studied them closely for hours when no one was looking, but it couldn't be. She was dead, Buffy had been crying. She walking it to the light, it was her, Cordelia.   
His pace quickened in it's efforts to reach Cordelia, who was slowly making her way towards him, in the moonlight, through the cemetery.  
  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
I I give you my word I give you my heart   
This is a battle we've won   
And with this vow   
Forever has now begun   
  
Just close your eyes each loving day   
And know this feeling won't go away   
Till the day my life is through   
This I promise you   
This I promise you /I  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
  
He runs up to her and swings her around, hugging her tightly "I thought you were dead. You scared me. When Buffy told me . . . I thought you'd left me forever." Angel tells her. Then he sets her down and kisses Cordelia passionately.   
  
She pulls away gasping. "What are you doing?" Cordelia questions shocked at his actions.   
  
"I want you Delia." He tells her, caressing her cheek  
  
She looks at him searchingly, "But Buffy . . ."  
  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~   
  
IOver and over I thought   
When I hear you call   
Without you in my life baby   
I just wouldn't be living at all  
  
And I will take you in my arms   
And hold you right where you belong   
Until the day my life is through   
This I promise you   
This I promise you /I  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
  
Angel stares into her eyes, telling her honestly, "I don't want Buffy. I want you, only you. I want to watch you grow old, and take care of you."  
  
Cordelia caresses his face, "Angel, I love you too, but you won't ever see me grow old."  
  
Angel feels like his heart is breaking, "Why? If you love me, why won't you stay with me until you die."  
  
"I never said I wouldn't stay with you. God, after this, I could never leave you." Cordelia promises.   
  
"Then why? I don't understand." Angel looks at her pleadingly.  
  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~   
  
IJust close your eyes each loving day   
And know this feeling won't go away   
Till the day my life is through   
This I promise you   
This I promise you   
  
Every word I say is true   
This I promise you   
Ooh I promise you /I  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
  
She looks at him, her eyes sparkling, "Because, I won't die. Well, I can, but it would take someone chopping my head off . . ."  
  
"What are you saying?"  
  
"I'm an immortal Angel. I live forever. Before, I was dead. You were right. I just, got better." She told him smiling, for lack of a better word.  
  
Angel looks at her amazing, "God, how long have you known?"  
  
"Only since the first time it happened. When I was 16, I got shot actually, someone mugged me when I was in Paris. I just woke up, it was the beginning summer break . . . a man named Duncan MacLeod found me some how."  
  
Angel gives her a puzzled look, "Duncan MacLeod? Oh god, that's it! That's where I know that name from . . . hmm, that's weird. I knew I Duncan MacLeod, when I was still Liam . . . and until I . . . He was a friend of my father's. He taught me how to fight with a sword actually."  
  
"Probably the same guy. Was he Scottish, with black hair? Real ladies man?" Cordelia asks.   
  
"Sounds like him . . . he's an immortal too?"  
  
"Over 400 years old. He trained me and taught me how to survive other immortals . . ."  
  
"Survive them?"  
  
"It's a really long story, and we have forever." Cordelia tells him, looking into his eyes lovingly.   
  
Angel drinks in the sight of her, "I thought I'd never have a chance when Buffy told me . . ."  
  
"Buffy! Oh no! Where is she?"  
  
"At the library, someone called an emergency meeting." Angel looks at her confused, "Why?"  
  
"We have to get there. Xander or Willow must have called Mac, Adam, or Richie. I'll explain it all on the way." Cordelia pulls Angel in a jog behind her, till they reach her car. They jump in then race off, Cordelia explaining as they went about Xander, Willow, and the past few hours, and what most likely was happening.  
  
  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~   
  
  
  



	11. Explanations and Realizations

I~ Thank you, everyone for posting or sending a reply! They all mean sooooo much to me!  
I hope y'all know that. I truly appreciate every single one of them.  
  
Sorry for taking so long, everything has been very messed up around here. I've been sleeping away most of the day because I've been sick, and school's got me busy. And on top of all that, I've been messing around with my new car. Yep, my parental units got me a car! All I need now, is a license . . . I know what you're thinking, why the hell do I have a car if I don't have a license, well, it's a really long story, that I don't want to get into! PLUS, I had PSAT's, so I've been studying and crap.   
  
  
This chapter is rated . . . NC-17, total smutfest! ~/I  
  
  
  
bThis I Promise You /b  
IBy Jules/i  
  
  
bChapter 11/b  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
  
b** The library ** /b  
  
  
"And there's no fighting on holy ground between immortals." Duncan finished.   
  
Willow returned with the book she'd been looking for. She opened it to the legend about immortals, then gave it to Giles.   
  
Giles browsed the passages that lay before him, absorbing all the information that had been basically forced into his brain in the last hour. He takes off his glasses and rubs his eyes.   
  
"I'm not sure what to believe here. There are just so many things I don't understand. Why, if this is true, did Cordelia not tell us?"  
  
"Because, we knew that you'd put it in your reports to the Watcher's council, and then Cordelia would have lots of people coming after her, because she's a newbie, and they're typically easy to kill. Luckily, Cordy's not, we've all given her extensive training. Besides that, we wanted to give Cordelia a chance to have at least part of her life with some privacy before our Watcher's council found out about her existence and she started getting followed by a watcher who will chronicle every detail of her life, but stay out of sight." Adam explained.   
  
"Explain to me about your watchers." Giles requested.   
  
Duncan explains, "Our Watcher's Council is the origin's of yours, even though you don't recognize our existence anymore. Anyway, watchers are regular men who are dedicated to follow immortals around, chronicling every single little detail of our lives. You can recognize them be a tattoo they all have on their wrist. They can only watch, and they aren't allowed to interfere, EVER. My watcher, Joe, is an exception, I'm going to request that he be put on her case as well, since I'm Cordelia's guardian . . ."  
  
The library doors bursting open interrupted him. Cordelia and Angel running in.   
  
Richie looks her up and down, "Where on earth have you been? You should have been here 15 minutes ago young lady."  
  
"Shove it Richie." She panted, trying to catch her breath, "I got here as soon as I could. Xander, thanks for the pack, and by the way, I KNOW what you were messing around with in there, and I am SO going to hurt you badly later." Cordelia warns, she'd found her clean panties stuffed at the bottom of the pack, when she'd had them neatly folded.   
  
Finally she stood up, and realized everyone was staring at her, Buffy and Giles with looks of contempt in their eyes.   
  
She sighed, "Oh come on, don't tell me you didn't suspect SOMETHING was up. I mean, I've totally changed. I'm helpful, I work out, I knew how to kill things, I could use a sword, I went on patrols, wore black all the time. If you didn't notice anything, then I gotta say that you are sorry excuses for friends."   
  
Now Giles and Buffy had looks of shame on their faces, they hadn't noticed. Well they had noticed a little something was different, but they didn't pay attention to it.   
  
  
Cordelia sighed, "Let's go back to my house, I'll explain what happened to me this summer, we can snack, and I can show off our training center and slaying central."  
  
  
Everyone agreed it was a good idea, and they soon arrived at the mansion.   
  
Cordelia and Angel lagged behind, holding hands, which no one had noticed yet. He gave her a hug of encouragement, then she went to the front of the group and led them to the ballroom first.   
  
She threw open the doors and showed them where she, Willow, and Xander had been working out since October.   
  
"This is where we have our lessons, practice dummies, gymnastic equipment, tumbling mats, boxing ring . . . as you can see." She told them.   
  
Then led them to the large set of double doors.  
  
"This is the entrance to the library, Duncan and Adam pretty much designed everything."  
  
  
The 'tour' group walked into the library and audible gasps and murmuring was heard.   
  
"Oh my . . ." Giles comments, walking to the center of the room and turning around, "This is so . . . amazing. These books are all hundreds of years old . . . and very rare. This is a most extensive collection . . ."  
  
Richie went over to the computer and turned it on, "This is where we keep track of demons and vampires we've killed and where. We've got the codex in here, with a warning system for if a prophecy is coming up, so we have time to avert disaster. And best off all, the simulation program. Basically, you impute in possible situations, and you try to solve them, it will give you different scenarios and outcomes.   
  
"It's great . . . and lots of fun!" Xander exclaims.   
  
Cordelia rolls her eyes, then leads them all to the second level. She pushes a button, and all the weapons flip out on display.  
  
"And this is our armory . . . well, the knives, enchanted swords, extra katanas, staffs and such, our more high tech weapons are here." She pushes another button and a few more shelves flip around and show off many guns, grenades, bazookas, and lots of other stuff like that, "But these are mostly Xander's play things, since he's the only one who know how to use them all."  
  
Everyone turned to look at Xander.   
  
"What?! I used to have a lot of time on my hands! They were fun! So I know how to use every single automatic, semi-automatic, machine, and other gun known to man. So what if I can use every explosive every created, and who cares that I know how to fire, load, disassemble and reassemble any weapon you place in front of me . . ."  
  
Almost everyone took a step away from him.   
  
Adam put his hand on Xander's shoulder, "Well, you succeeded in making them all terrified of you."  
  
"Wonderful job Xander!" Cordelia chirps. She shakes her head, then goes to the anthems, "At the time, I wasn't sure why I bought so many anthems . . . or why I picked the ones I did. But now I know. We all have one, for some reason they fit us . . ." She handed them one at a time to their predestined owners.   
  
To Buffy she handed a gold one with diamonds on the hilt. Buffy took it in shock, but replaced the knife she had in her boot sheath with it.   
Cordelia handed the rest boot sheaths. Then passed out the rest of the anthems.   
  
Giles was given the plain bronze one.   
Then Oz a gold anthem which had an odd design and emeralds, which looked similar to Willows.   
Finally, she handed the only other silver anthem to Angel, the handle had Celtic engravings with peridot gems, and it also had sapphires.  
  
"These are anthems, they are one of the only ways to kill a wizard, otherwise you can just use them for a knife. Don't lose them, these cost me a fair chunk of change. Not that there's not millions more where it came from, but it has to last me my whole immortal life, so I think you get it." She tells them, letting her hand linger on Angel's, not wanting to let go quite yet because the feel of his skin against hers gave her nice tingles.   
  
Duncan and Giles were the only ones to notice the prolonged exposure, but merely raised an eyebrow.   
  
  
Duncan looked at the man whom his pupil was so enamored with, and realized there was something familiar with him, then it finally hit him, "Liam!" He suddenly spoke out loud.   
  
Everyone turned to stare at him, except Angel, who looked at his feet in shame. Angel was totally shocked when Duncan hugged him fiercely.   
  
"I never expect to see you again, after you died, your whole family was slaughtered."  
  
"I know." Angel tells him quietly, taking a step away from him, "I was the one who killed them all."  
  
  
Giles can tell this is something private, so he hurries everyone, but Cordelia who refused to leave, into the other room.   
  
  
"What?" Duncan manages to ask after a very long period of silence.   
  
"I'm the one who killed them. My little sister invited me in . . . and then I killed them all." Angel informs him darkly.   
  
"But, why?"  
  
Angel sighs, "I was angry . . . and when you lose your soul, you don't feel guilt, remorse, only anger, lust, pride, the need for revenge. My father had never respected me, all he'd ever done was tell me what a disappointment I was, and what a horrible son I was. The new me, the demon inside of me, Angelus, took his revenge upon everyone in the house that night."   
  
Cordelia takes his hand and puts her head on his chest, wanting to comfort him, but not knowing how.   
  
Duncan takes several deep breaths, "How long have you had your soul?"  
  
"This time? Or before I lost it last year?"  
  
"Before."  
  
"90 years . . . I have spent over 90 years regretting what I did to them . . . to me Mother and me little Kathy." Angel slips into his old brogue for a moment.   
  
Duncan looks over the library from the banister, holding it so tight his knuckles have turned white, "I understand you regret it . . . and I know why it's just hard to accept that the boy I knew could kill his family the way you did." He says harshly  
  
Cordelia steps in, "Now wait a God damn minute, IAngel/I did not kill them. It was IAngelus/I they are two totally different people. And my Angel has paid for what he did, ten fold. You can't blame him, sure he's done a lot of horrible things in his past, murdered millions of people, tortured thousands, turned hundreds . . ."  
  
"I think he gets it Delia." Angel interrupts.   
  
"Right, sorry. The point is, the poor guy has enough that he broads over, he doesn't need more guilt from the fact he knows you blame him too."  
  
"I know that Cordelia." Duncan tells her, then looks at Angel, "And I don't blame him. What happened was over 200 years ago, and he's a different person again. I'd be honored, to be his friend once more."   
  
Duncan offers his hand to Angel, who shakes it. Cordelia grins, then hugs her mentor, then Angel again, who holds on to her tight. Duncan can tell it's turned into a private moment, so he sneaks out then, leaving the two alone.   
  
  
Duncan found the whole group in the ballroom, looking over the facilities.   
  
"You all can use these are your training center and slaying central from now on if you wish. But we do close up everything at 11pm unless you live here." Duncan tells them, "Only exceptions are made in emergency situations, and for immortals so if you don't mind, it's time we're all getting to bed."  
  
Giles raises his eyebrow at him, "We accept the offer, but I must ask, why on earth are you here? With Cordelia? Why are all of you here."  
  
"I am her guardian, and her trainer. She had her father name me as her guardian before he died, so I live here with her. I watch out for her, train her, teach her everything she needs to know, make sure she does her tie-chi in the mornings. I teach her French, the history of immortals, who to watch out for, what names to keep an eye out for. The rest of the time, I let her live her own life, because her soul is an old one, and Cordelia knows how to take care of herself. Adam is her best friend, and Richie's the older brother she never had."  
  
Adam takes it up, "We all care about her, and watch out for her. She is very important to us, and if any of you ever do anything to hurt her, we will track you down and kill you, just as we would to anyone else who does. My Cora is a very sensitive person, who's dealt with a lot in the past year. She has died, found out she was an immortal, lost her parents, killed for the first time, been killed again. Richie and I came to Sunnydale with her to protect her, and no one will hurt her. Not on our watch. If she hadn't killed Eric, we all would have taken a turn torturing him, then eventually kill him."  
  
Richie tries to save face, "We understand that you are her friends, but her identity, that has to be kept a complete secret. Many people would love to come after the newbie who killed Jonathan Damians, and challenge her them-selves. Once she's been challenged, we can't interfere. The only thing we can do, is keep her a secret. And if someone finds out about her, the Watchers council will, and then she'll get a watcher, and they'll chronicle her life. Which means everything will get out, and people will start coming after her. Your Watcher Council can't ever know about her, because there are our watchers all over, and it would be very dangerous for her. All of us just want her to have as normal a life as possible for as long as she can. Please, just help us keep it that way."  
  
Everyone nods his or her heads in agreement.   
  
"I can understand that." Buffy agrees quietly, deciding not to tell everyone about how Angel felt about Cordelia. She understood now that the two were destined for each other, and knew that they needed sometime to be just the two of them.   
  
"It's late, we should go." Oz tells everyone.   
  
Giles nods his head, "Quite. We will see you all soon."   
  
Then he ushers his young charges, a.k.a. Buffy, Oz, Xander, and Willow, out the doors.  
  
Richie yawned, "You know, I'm getting tired too."  
  
"Yeah, it's about time we got home too." Adam agreed, "See you when I see you MacLeod."  
  
Then he and Richie were gone as well.   
  
  
Duncan sighed, being all alone once more. He took one last look at the room behind him, shook his head, then when to his bedroom (which was in an entire different wing of the house then Cordelia's).  
  
  
~*~  
  
  
b** The Library ** /b  
  
Angel and Cordelia stared deep into each other's eyes, they'd been standing like that, and reading each other's souls since Duncan had left.   
  
Angel's soul felt complete again, The hole that had been created had disappeared. And the ache in his heart was gone.   
  
  
The two new found, soon to be lovers, had been standing there for a very long time, when Cordelia finally takes Angel's hand and silently leads him down the spiral stairs, through the house, then up to her bedroom.   
  
Cordelia makes Angel sit on the bed.   
  
"Wait here." She whispers.   
  
Cordelia closes all the curtains, and light the many candles she had placed all over the room. She slowly walks back to him. Cordelia pulls out her dew-rag, which caused her hair to fall in long, damp, dark waves around her shoulders, which was slowly curling into loose ringlets. She steps out of her shoes, turned on the stereo, then went back to Angel.   
  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
IThe suckers loose themselves in the games  
They learn to play  
Children love to sing but then their voices  
Slowly fade away  
  
People always take a step away  
From what is true  
That why I like you around  
I want you  
  
Yeah you do you do you do you do   
You do you do you do  
You're making me want you /I  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
  
Angel watches the other part of his soul move slowly around the room. He'd never wanted someone so badly in his life. Finally she returns to him.   
  
Cordelia runs her hands on Angel chest, up to his shoulders, and pushes off his duster. Then she leans down, and kisses him gently. Angel responds very happily, he puts one arm around her waist, one around her back, and pulls he down to the bed, underneath him. Cordelia's shocked for a second.   
  
"You're trying to torture me." Angel whispers accusingly.   
  
"No, I'm trying to seduce you." Cordelia answers.  
  
Angel rakes his eyes down the body beneath him, then travels back to her eyes, "It's not necessary. I've wanted you so bad, for so long Cordelia. It was killing me that I couldn't tell you."  
  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
IYeah you do you do you do you do   
You do you do you do  
You're making me want you   
Oh you do you do you do you do   
You do you do you do  
Send me all your vampires  
You make me want you  
  
And I can't get enough  
Oh you do you do you do you do   
You do you do you do   
And I can't get enough  
And I can't get enough /I  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
  
Cordelia caresses his face with her fingertips, her touch sending tingles through his body, she seemed to be trying to capture something. A few tears run down her cheeks.  
  
"Is something wrong?" Angel asks, then kisses each of the tears, making them disappear.   
  
"I'm so afraid, that this is a dream, and you'll disappear, when Duncan wakes me up."  
  
Angel kisses her firmly, "I'm real, and from now on, I'm not going anywhere." He kneels over her body, then pulled her shirt up over her head, gasping at the sight of her body, which was bra-less. (The one thing they forgot to pack, damn), "God you're beautiful."  
  
Cordelia reaches up, rubbing her hairs on his shirt clad body, soon unbuttoning his shirt. Finally her hot hands were able to touch his cool skin, pushing the shirt off his body and throwing it to the side.   
  
Angel groans the feel of her heated flesh against him. The borrowed blood rushed through his veins. Her warm fingers move down his chest to his pants, which she also unbuttons. Angel pulls them off, then disposes of her pants. He slowly pulled them down over her hips, exposing the sides of the black thong she wore, then reveals her toned, tan thighs. Finally he pulls them all the way down her long legs.   
  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
IThe village churchyard is filled with  
Bones weeping in the grave  
The silver lining of clouds shines  
On people Jesus couldn't save  
You want to know how deeply my soul goes  
Deeper than bones (Deeper than bones)  
  
And I can't get enough (Oh I can't get enough)  
And I can't get enough (Oh I can't get enough) /I  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
  
Angel looks his soon to be lover up and down again, growling animalistically.   
  
Cordelia blushes at his close investigation of her body, but soon becomes too absorbed by Angel's cool lips all over her to body to care. He kisses his way down her body. Angel had let his face partially transform, so he lets his fangs graze her skin here and there, which was sending erotic shivers down Cordelia's spine.   
  
  
She was a little scared, she'd only had sex once, during her freshman year, with the star quarterback of the football team, and he had a very tiny dick (so she'd heard after comparing it with her friends' conquests). And from the prominent bulge in Angel's boxers, he was obviously a very well endowed Irishman. But when Angel's kisses and nips near her belly button ring (which she'd gotten in Paris after the change, along with a tattoo) all thoughts but making wild, passionate love to him were wiped from her brain.   
  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~   
  
IAfter we did it by the windowsill   
Smoke rings drift off into the midnight sky  
Presently in the quilt your mother made  
And a candle burns to fight off the gloom /I  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
  
Angel shed his boxers, he had to have her now, and he just couldn't take it anymore. Angel literally tore Cordelia's thong off her as she began kissing his neck, and shoulders.   
  
Slowly he positions himself, and his pulsing member pushed its way into her hot, tight depths. When he saw the flash of pain in his lover's eyes he slows down, "Are you ok?"  
  
Cordelia nods, "Yeah, I've only done this once though . . . please, go on. I need you."  
  
Angel kisses her lips lovingly, and slowly made his way deeper into her satin walls.   
  
Cordelia was gasping, after the initial pain had gone away, all she was feeling was waves of pleasure through her whole body. She never knew making love would feel so good. Once he was completely sheathed, she wrapped her legs around his back as he began thrusting. She moaned and groaned as the sensations rippled through her.   
  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~   
  
IYou said to live in this way is not for the meek  
(Send me all your vampires)  
But you talk real soft and kiss me on the cheek  
(Send me all your vampires)  
And like a jazz DJ you talk me into sleep  
(Send me all your vampires)  
There will be no regrets when the worms come  
(Send me all your vampires)  
And they shall surly come /I  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
  
Angel couldn't believe how amazing it was, her scorching body against his, the love that was transmitted through their kisses, he loved the feeling of her nails on his back.   
  
Soon Cordelia starts to gasp, she could feel the pleasure increasing, and the feeling between her legs was getting stronger. She feels herself seemingly leave her body, getting higher and higher. One more deep stroke from Angel and she was over the edge. Gasping his name, "Oh God, Angel!" she climaxes.   
  
Angel needed his release, he looked into her eyes for permission, and she gave it willingly. Angel's face completely transforms, and he sinks his fangs into her neck. Cordelia felt her climax draw out, the feeling of him sucking on her neck was the most erotic feeling in the world.   
  
Angel shot his cool seed deep into his lovers trembling body.   
  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
IOh you do you do you do you do   
You do you do you do  
Make me want you  
(Send me all your vampires)  
  
Oh you do you do you do you do   
You do you do you do  
I want you (Send me all your vampires)  
I want you (Send me all your vampires)  
Send me all your vampires /I  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
  
Angel gathers his soulmate in his arms, pulling her to him after he rolled off of her, "Are you ok?"  
  
"Mmmmmm, yeah. I love you Angel." Cordelia tells him sleepily.   
  
"I love you too Delia." Angel whispers.   
  
  
Then both fell asleep in each other's arms, feeling totally complete and peaceful for the first time.   
  
  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~ THE END ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~   
  
  
I give credit where credit is due. The song is II Want You/I by Third Eye Blind, off their self titled CD. I LOVE that song, and the fact that they mention Vampires in the song was just too perfect to pass up.   
  
  
  



End file.
